Web of Lies
by AriesBalorPrincess
Summary: Wade wanting to do something nice like bring father and daughter together for the first time in 16 years goes in search of Zoe Hart, telling her that her 16 years of life have been nothing more than a lie. It may not have been the right thing to do. Zoe is conflicted, she wants to believe him, trust him, she just doesn't know if she can take such a huge leap of faith on a stranger.
1. Chapter 1

**This was one of my other stories on the poll. Totally and completely an AU story. This one won't be updated again until after Ten is finished, which won't be a long wait. ****Enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hart of Dixie or the characters used within this work of fiction.**

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Wade sighed walking into yet another hospital in New York. He had already been at a handful of them before hand and they had all refused to tell him any information. He had tried to look _her_ up in the phone book, but she wasn't listed. Not that any 16-year-old would be listed in the phone book. But he didn't know the name of her mother; he didn't know a whole lot, the perks of not planning ahead, but Harley had done right by him over the years; it was the least he could do. If only he could find her, there were a lot of hospitals in New York, and he wasn't certain that she would be at any single one of them. He figured from what he had heard that she would be spending her time at the hospital to help her get into a good college, so she could reach her dreams. That was what he was counting on.

"Can I help you sir?" The nurse asked, looking up at him. Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he gave her a weak tired smile. This was his last hope, if he didn't find her here, he would have to tuck tail and head on home until he could find more out about Zoe Hart.

"I'm looking for someone, can you help me?" Wade asked, leaning on the counter that was separating him from the nurse.

"Who is it you are looking for?" She asked him, ready to punch the name into her computer, to see if they had the patient he was looking for.

"Zoe Hart," he told her.

"Oh," she squeaked out, really checking the strange guy out that wanted to see the sweet girl. She was ready to refuse him, the answer on the tip of her tongue, but he spoke before she had the chance.

"It's a family emergency and it's important that I see her," Wade vaguely explained, seeing that he was in the right spot with the look in her eye. That apparently was enough for her.

"Oh dear," the nurse mumbled. "One moment please," she said looking up at him making sure it was okay. Wade nodded his head. With the nurse, scurrying off Wade let his head fall to his hands, his fingers gripping at the little length of hair he did have.

He was starting to question himself on making the trip to New York. He had only overheard bits of information, and it wasn't his responsibility to tell anyone that their mother was lying to them. Nevertheless, here he was because he had a soft spot for Dr. Wilkes, and he only wanted a chance to know his daughter. In more than one way, Wade knew how that felt. Harley would have his ass for this, once he stepped foot into Bluebell again, but coming here, was going to be worth it; it had to be.

"Sir," the nurse said getting him to look up. "She'll be with you in a moment, please have a seat."

"Thank you," Wade replied, taking a seat in one of the few chairs against the wall. His eyes closing the second he rested his head against the wall. A plan a small one at that, coming together.

Zoe finished with the patient she was with and headed to the front of the hospital. She knew without a doubt that there was no family emergency. Her father was in Europe, and her mother was on a trip somewhere. She had no siblings to worry about, leaving her home alone, with her mother calling to check up on her a couple of times throughout the day. Seeing the man waiting for her, she couldn't place him. She had every reason to turn around and avoid this man. However, her steps took her closer to him instead of away from him. She did want to know who he thought he was by demanding her attention with a lie.

"What I can help you with?" She asked as politely as she could. She was only 16 and spent her last hour with a dying man who had no family that could be there with him, and her emotions were running in different ways.

"Is there maybe somewhere else we can go to talk?" He asked, getting to his feet in a rush. "You have no reason to trust me, but this is important," he told her, stuffing his hands in his pockets, only to remove his right hand to hold it out to her. "I'm Wade Kinsella," he introduced himself.

"I'm Zoe," she told him in a softer tone sensing just how on edge he was about whatever it was he had to tell her. She shook his hand not wanting to come off as anything other than gracious. "I know a little place a few blocks from here; I'm hungry so is that okay?" She questioned him. "Hospital food is not the greatest."

"I could eat," he replied with a half smile. He rushed out of his own home in Bluebell only having a candy bar on the way to the airport in Mobile, and since he had been too busy being on a mission to find Zoe that he looked past the part of being hungry.

"Okay, I'll just be a minute," she told him, walking off to change from the candy striper uniform she was wearing. There was a softness to his eyes that made her trust him. He didn't scream danger now that she had met him. It was easy to see that he was nervous, and it wouldn't really hurt anything to hear him out.

* * *

 **~Per Se~**

The joint was a bit too fancy for Wade's taste, and he felt like he didn't belong or even fit in and that each table they passed, eyes were on him, judging him for the way he was dressed, knowing that he didn't belong there at the restaurant or even in the city they called home. Running out the door and ditching the place and the situation was ideal, it wouldn't get Zoe to trust him and to believe what it was he had to tell her. It took him a few days to believe it himself.

"This family emergency, what lie were you going to use? What do you even want with me? We have to be close to the same age," she said, skipping a beat, diving right in after they had ordered.

"What I have to tell you isn't a lie, and I'm 17," he responded easily. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, that she wasn't going to believe him, that he would have to work at getting her trust.

"How can it be true? I don't know you and you don't know me, so how could you know anything about my family?" She asked, getting defensive against his actuations on her family.

"I know your father; that's why I'm here," he told her.

"What about my father? I personally haven't seen him in years, so what is it you know?" She questioned, suddenly becoming very interested in what he had to say. "You don't look like a world traveler, and I didn't hear that he was back in the states, so how could you know my father?"

"You have no reason to believe me, no reason to trust me, but I wouldn't fly all the way here from Alabama to lie to you," he started off saying. "I've never been out of the US; I'm not talking about that father."

"Please do not utter the words that you are my brother," she groaned, that would be weird and this wasn't a Hallmark movie. "What do you mean not that father? I only have one father."

"Not your brother," he chucked, drinking half his glass of water. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but I don't like lies and secrets, and I would rather want to know if I was ever in the position you are in."

"Then quit rambling like a schoolgirl and tell me what it is, spit it out," she urged him.

"Your father he's your step father. Harley Wilkes, that's your father; I overheard him talking the other day. I know it sounds crazy, and I wouldn't believe it either but it is the truth."

She burst out in laughter, covering her mouth with her napkin. He sat there bewildered. This situation did not scream funny to him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized getting her laughter to end. "It sounds bizarre; I have no reason to believe you, like you said, however, it makes sense if you think about it. My dad, Ethan, left because he couldn't take care of me any longer, it never made sense, until now," she sighed. "Whether I want to trust you, the facts are there, and I can't ignore them."

"That's great, that you believe me; Harley will be so excited to see you," Wade beamed at his good deed being done.

"Who said I was going back with you?" She asked.

"I just figured you'd want to meet him."

"Is that why you came here? Figured I would leave everything I have going on in my life to meet some guy claiming to be my biological father? Doesn't that sound a bit much?"

"It does and yes, I thought that you would want to meet him. If the situation was reversed, I would already be gone."

"The situation isn't reversed, Wade. I never once said I wanted to go, or that I was up to meeting him. Can't you leave things be?" She asked, sipping on her water.

"I would if I thought it was for the best," he explained, licking his lips, leaning forward. "Harley he wants to know you, wants to know the daughter he begs and pleads to see. I thought you would want to know the man that is your father," he finished, as the food was brought to them.

"It is not that easy," she told him when it was just them once more. "Being told I have a different father out there doesn't make me warm and fuzzy on the inside; it makes me more confused than anything and in going forward I need to think my actions out, I won't rush into anything," she stated.

"Won't or can't?" He asked. "You are afraid and that is okay, Zoe. You are only 16 and your life just changed in a huge way. You have every reason to be afraid, that doesn't mean you need to sit here asking yourself a bunch of questions you cannot answer, when you can go and get them."

"I am afraid, and at the same time; I don't know you, Wade, and I don't trust you, so I don't know how much of what you said is true. You say you have no reason to lie to me, again something I can't believe."

"Have a little faith," he told her getting up. He would rather grab a burger on his way to finding a place for the night then sitting there eating food he had no desire to eat, going around in a damn circle; he had to approach her with a different mind set. "Talk to your mom, and tomorrow you can figure things out; my flight leaves Sunday at 4; you decide on how you want your future to play out, Zoe. Have a good night," he told her walking away. He didn't have much money to waste, and he could only afford two nights before he had to go home, and he was determined to go back with Zoe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy Halloween guys, here is chapter two for a treat for all of you. Enjoy!**

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Zoe smiled at Nona walking into the hospital. Going home last night with only her thoughts wasn't ideal, it was the only option she had. She had no friends she could rely on with news like this; they wouldn't be the help she needed to begin with. With her mom out of town, she couldn't talk to her about things; it was not a conversation you had over the phone. She did try to Skype with her father. It didn't matter who came into her life to tell her otherwise, Ethan Hart would forever be her father. He was still at the hospital and didn't have a free second. She didn't know how to get a hold of Wade, didn't have his number, and she didn't know where he was staying. And she wasn't going to stake out the city to find him. At this point, he was the only one she could talk to about this.

"Sweetie, that boy from yesterday, he's waiting on Dr. Sierra, in room 15, if you want to give him some company while he waits," Nurse Nona informed her.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way; I'm sure he will be fine," she politely declined. She found it was ironic that last night she would have liked to know where he had gone to so she could talk to him and now today when she wants to focus on things other than the maybe mega bombshell he dropped on her the night prior she knows right where he is at.

"You would be doing him a favor; the nurse did her job; it's just that Dr. Sierra is running late already this morning; behind nearly 20 minutes, you wouldn't be in the way," she told Zoe, picking the phone up, getting back to her work.

She did come in today earlier than need to be; she could wait in the room with him, get a better feel for the guy, and when Dr. Sierra did show up, she could leave and get started on her rounds for the day. She stopped outside the door, staring at it like it could burn her. Did she even want to talk to him again just to get her thoughts even more twisted up in her mind? Even so, maybe just maybe he could help untwist them.

"You're not even here for a full 24 hours, and you're in the hospital," she said amused, entering the room, noticing how she startled Wade. "What happened?" She asked gesturing to where he was holding his side. She could easily see the bruising on his face and his knuckles that were busted up.

Wade watched her carefully as she strode across the room sitting in the chair reserved for the Doctor and Nurses to use. He wasn't expecting Zoe to stroll into the room, didn't think he had been there that long. "How'd you know I was in here?" He asked instead of telling her his tale.

"Nona the nurse at the front desk told me, she has a keen memory," Zoe shrugged, looking at all the health posters on the walls. "Dr. Sierra is running behind this morning, thought we could talk," she told him, looking at him.

"What's there left to say?" He asked. "You either believe me or you don't. You can't have it both ways."

"I know," she told him. "Why are you doing this for Harley? Why couldn't he have come and told me himself?" She asked, licking her lips.

"As far as I can gather, it is your mom holding him back. I think he needs to wait until you are 18 to contact you," he suggested, with a shrug, holding his groan in at the movement. "He has been more like a dad to me than my own has been in recent years, I feel like I owe him something after he so kindly helped him. He made sure I was happy, and I want to return that favor, for the both of you," he sincerely told her. He wanted to reach out to hold her hand, but thought better of it.

"It is sweet of you to do that for him," she smiled weakly at him. "But I don't think that I am ready to face this development in my life. I haven't even talked to my mom about it. I am not ready for my life to change in such a drastic way; you understand that don't you?" She questioned in a panic.

"I do, not all of us get that choice on certain things in life. And with how it was kept hidden from you; you get a chance to choose when is best for you. It can't be easy on you, and you have to do what is best for you, Zoe," he told her, sadness laced through his words.

"Can you tell me what happened now?" She asked, batting her eyelashes at him.

"You make it hard to refuse you," he chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "I was minding my own business this morning, when some guys were picking on this other kid, I don't see much of that back home, but it still ticked me off; no one should be bullying other kids; I stepped in and a fight broke out," he shrugged.

"That was nice of you," she smiled, getting up. "But I will let the doctor tend to your wounds now," she said getting up, hearing the knock on the door right before Dr. Sierra walked through, giving Zoe a smile and a confused look. Zoe returned the smile exiting the room.

She was actually starting to have fun with him. Maybe it would be okay if she spent a few hours with him to give him the chance he took on coming here. He was the only one that could persuade her in going. She was free to come and go with helping out at the hospital, everyone told her she needed to take a few days off to be a teen before her teen years were up. For the past two weeks she was in everyday to help out. With no one at home, it was easier to come in and be useful than to sit around at home and do nothing to help her out with her dream in life. She could always hang out with her friends, but these days it felt as if she barely knew them, and she only had herself to blame for pushing them away.

"Here I thought you would be busy doing your charity work," Wade smirked, seeing Zoe sitting in a chair in the waiting room. He was curious to see if she was waiting on him or someone else.

"They won't let me help today," she shrugged, letting the lie out. It wasn't like it was a big lie. And right now he didn't need to know that she wanted to spend sometime with him, to really get to know the man that is doing such a huge favor.

"I don't believe that," he chuckled.

"Why not?" She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are you insinuating that I am lying to you?"

"I am," he nodded. "I really don't think they would turn you away from helping out and with that little outburst, it shows that I am right," he smugly told her.

"It is the truth to an extent; they do want me to do other things then spend all my time here," she stated, proving to him that it wasn't so much a lie as he was making it out to be.

"Alright, what do you have in mind?" He asked letting it go. She wanted to hang out with him; he would take the chance to show her that she could believe him, that it was okay to trust him. That he had no intentions of lying or hurting her.

"I'll show you some of my favorite parts of the city and show you the more touristy spots as we go," she told him, leading him to the streets outside the hospital.

He sighed following behind her. He wasn't too thrilled on the concept of her favorite spots after dining in the restaurant she claimed was her favorite. He really didn't care about the expensive parts of the city.

He was in for a treat when they got off the subway, that in itself was something else for him. It was the few times he had ever used public transportation. The first was a cab from the airport. It was a real treat to see that they were no longer in the city but elsewhere in the state.

"What are we doing here?" He asked, looking around, seeing things he would never see back home. For the first time in his 17 years of life, he was seeing the homeless, and the prostitutes that were on the corners; he didn't want to look, but he found it was hard to keep his eyes elsewhere.

"Have you never seen them before?" She asked amused watching the slight blush overtaking his face.

"No, I live in a small town, and we help each other in times of need. We don't have a need for any of this," be stated motioning to the people around him that called the streets home and the ones that had to sell their bodies for money.

"Welcome to the real world," she told him, dragging him further down the street. "I could show you the city, which I can see you don't care about. The city is nothing to you and hey that's fine, not everyone is made for New York. But, just because I was born and raised in the city doesn't mean I didn't venture out. Per Se is my favorite restaurant, but it's not the only favorite on the list," she informed him, stopping in front of a run-down building. "These people won't hurt you; I assure you," she smiled, pulling the door open.

With a questioning glance at the girl he was with, he walked into the place, stopping short seeing the well put together cafe. The inside looked as if it should belong on the cover of a magazine and not in a run-down building.

"What's good to eat?" He asked, sitting at a booth with Zoe.

"Everything," she stated.

He really started to feel at home sitting there talking to Zoe. The staff was friendly, making him feel welcomed. He got why Zoe came here for. He was happy that she brought him.

"How did you find this place?" He asked, munching on a fry.

"I was ten at the time. My nanny had to come home when afternoon, and I had to go with her; we stopped here for dinner on the way home. Ever since that day, I begged her to bring me back. Once a week, we came here. I lost her last year, and I hated this place; it reminded me of her. After a few months, I came back, because I missed her and the place. I don't make it back here as often as I use to, a few times a month," she replied, playing with her napkin.

"I get it," he said, reaching out to take her hand. "There are still places I refuse to go that remind me of my mom, and she has been gone for ten years now," he confessed.

"I am sorry," she told him.

"As am I," he told her.

"If you want to see the statue of Liberty, I can take you there," she suggested, saying the first thing that came to mind, not watching to dwell on the sadness life had given them.

"I best go, my friends might harm me if I don't go," he chuckled.

"We can't have that," she commented. "We can go now if you are done," she suggested. He nodded his head offering to pay. She told him not to worry about it as it was already covered. She did, however, go to the counter and take the bags that were waiting for her, Wade taking a few, so she didn't have to carry them all. "I can't do much to help, but this I can do," she told him.

He wasn't left waiting long to see that the bags were for the homeless they had passed. She filled him in that she also helped put together a bag of necessities for them every two weeks. She was doing what she could. He was impressed with everything that she did. At first, he had assumed that it was all about the material things when it came to her, he was far off the mark about that.

"I don't want you to think that you have to come back with me, Zoe. I do think you should do it. You don't even have to tell him who you are if you don't want to," he told her, once they were back on the subway.

"I know," she smiled. "I just need to think about it. Whether I am at the airport tomorrow, or I am not, you will have your answer. I need to figure out if I am ready for this if what you say is true," she informed him.

"I get it," he replied. And he really did. This was up to her, and it was a huge choice to make. He did what he had set out to do. He would have liked to be the one bringing Zoe back with him, but he couldn't force her to do that and the day she did show up in Bluebell; it would be in part thanks to him. Not that he needed the credit to begin with.


	3. Chapter 3

**Guys I'm sorry for the small delay with this chapter. I do hope some answers have been cleared up within it. Enjoy chapter 3!**

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Spending the day with Wade, Zoe realized had actually been fun. She enjoyed the time spent with him. It took her mind off just how lonely it was for her at home. With her mom gone on business more than she was home and with her father in Europe, more specifically Italy, her days were spent alone, people at the hospital she volunteers at more like a family to her. So to have that much fun with someone she could barely call a friend, felt freeing. It did, however, make her feel slightly guilty about pushing her friends away, friends she had known for years now. She would find a time to fix that at a later date.

"Hello?" Zoe answered her phone, not looking to see just who was calling. She was busy concentrating on what to pack for her trip to Bluebell if she did so decide to go through with it come morning.

"Hello, Zoe, how are things going there?" Candice's voice came out over the speaker of the phone, sounding far away. Zoe sighed to herself, wishing that just once she could be put first, her mom giving her all of her attention.

"They are good," Zoe answered, stopping with her packing to sit on her bed to talk with her mom. Questions about who Harley Wilkes was on the tip of her tongue. She really didn't want to ask such personal questions over the phone, even if her curiosity was getting the best of her.

"That's good, dear. I am afraid that I have to extend my trip by a week. You will be okay won't you?" Her friends had once told her she was lucky that she didn't have her parents on top of her, but that was what she wanted. She didn't feel very lucky; she felt alone.

Her mind was made up in that second. She loved her mom, dearly. Though she did want to know what having a parent who was there for her every day felt like. Maybe she could have something like that with Harley if he did turn out to be her father.

"Yeah, I will be fine, mom. I have made plans to stay with a friend for a few days," she informed her mom. It was enough of the truth that she didn't feel so bad for lying to her mom about her actual plans.

"Okay, Zoe, have fun and I love you," Candice told her daughter.

"Love you too, Mom," Zoe replied hanging the phone up. Not the least bit surprised that her mom didn't question her on what friend it was she going to be staying with.

She could do this feeling a bit better about things. She still didn't think she was doing the right thing. If Wade was telling her the truth than she should wait to have this out with her mom, or maybe she should at least wait until her mom decides to tell her the truth whatever and whenever that may be. How could she know that Wade was telling the truth? Could she really believe the words Wade told her about Dr. Wilkes? She could be walking into a disaster with no way to protect herself. That was enough for her to second guess what she was doing, ready to unpack the two bags she had packed for the trip.

With a sigh, she sat at her computer, going to the Internet and searching for Bluebell and Dr. Harley Wilkes, to get some sort of answers she could truly rely on.

* * *

His day with Zoe had been fantastic; he couldn't remember a day like that. A day where he could easily forget the problems waiting for him once he returned home. He couldn't even imagine the trouble he would be in, by Harley and not his own father, he would be more surprised if Earl even knew he was missing. He hated those moments where Jesse left him to deal with their father truly sank in. He didn't care that Jesse did what he himself was planning on doing. To everyone else he was a hero, but to him, Jesse was going to be nothing but a coward who ran when things got hard.

Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he focused on getting through the crowded airport, keeping an eye out for Zoe. He didn't know if she was going to be there or not. When they split up yesterday after having one of the best days of his life, it was very eye opening to him, and he couldn't wait to tell his friends all about it, she hadn't been sure if she was going to go back with him and even though he did now possess her phone number, he could call her or even message her but he didn't want to pressure her into coming with him. He understood now that this was something she needed to be okay doing, when she was ready to do so, and he would be there for her, if he could be.

Making it through security had been easy, now he just had to wait on not only the flight to board but on whether or not Zoe was going to show up and that was the worst feeling of anxiety he has ever felt in years. It was a feeling he wished he could live without.

He wasted very little time going to the gate he needed to be at. Skipping the stores. He was by far too nervous to eat or drink anything. He didn't need anything to read, if he got bored while waiting, he would pull out his notebook and work on some old songs that he had yet to finish, or maybe he would be inspired to write something new.

He stopped short seeing the brunette that was sitting in the hard plastic chair, flipping through a magazine. He didn't want to get his hopes up on it being Zoe, but licking his lips; he moved forward, one foot in front of the other until he was next to her.

"I didn't imagine you would be here," he smirked, sitting next to her. He was counting his lucky stars seeing Zoe was, in fact, sitting there.

"What is a summer vacation for if not for an adventure?" She replied, putting her magazine down. "I was still undecided until I talked with my mom, nothing life threatening, I just want to know the truth, and I can't get the if I don't go. My interest is piqued," she told him with a shrug. Whatever the truth was she wanted to get the bottom of it and the best way to do that was to go to this tiny little town she had researched about. "Now tell me is everything that Dash writes in his blog, actually happen in this hometown of yours?"

Wade laughed. "Like you wouldn't believe," he told her. "Hold up, you tellin' me that you did research about little ol' Bluebell?" He asked with an amused look, slightly impressed she had done that.

"Shut up," she laughed, covering up her embarrassment, smacking his chest lightly.

"It will be an adventure; that's for sure, Zoe," he remarked, faint laughter on his lips. "I will be there if you need or want me to be there," he told her turning serious.

"Thanks, I am not really sure right now. I don't even know if I want him to know who I am right away," she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Hey, whatever you decide to do we can do it," he promised her. She smiled, happy in that moment to have him on her side and maybe just maybe she could consider him to be a friend.

From there he told her about the townspeople and what she could expect from them, leaving out a good chunk of his family. He wasn't ready to see the pity that was going to be in her eyes like everyone else had. He would tell her before they got to Bluebell, just not right now, he wanted to enjoy the rest of his time with her.

He was starting to like her as a friend, he didn't do relationships; they caused more heartache than he wants to deal with. The most he needed to deal with right now was remaining happy and not dwelling on how horrible his life has been.

Losing your mom at a young age, your father turning into a drunk overnight, your brother wanting nothing to do with you, it was hard to take in, and he was trying to stay upbeat with it all. He dealt with things in his own way, and he wasn't proud of what he had done, but going into it, they knew what it was they were signing up for.

"You okay over there?" Zoe questioned bringing him from his musings. He was able to mutter a soft huh for her. "I lost you for a few minutes there," she supplied.

"Just thinking," he replied, scrubbing his face, looking down at the floor. He wasn't sure if he was thankful that Zoe remained quiet or not. "There are things that you don't know and part of me is ashamed of the actions of not only myself but my family as well," he replied, the words easily slipping from his mouth.

"I am not in place to judge, as you very well know," she told him, gently placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I promise I won't judge you."

"You may say that, but it can change in a split second," he told her roughly. Glancing at her, he felt bad seeing the hurt in her brown eyes. "I lost my mom when I was younger, my brother left not able to deal with having to deal with an alcoholic father and a brother who reminded him of pain or some bull like that," he told her softly. The first thing he felt was her hand squeezing his shoulder.

"I am sorry that you have to go through that, Wade," she told him. "You are stronger because of it. You have nothing to be ashamed of, Wade. You cannot be held responsible for your father's actions or by our brother's for that matter. You can only fix yourself."

He wanted to be comforted by her words. He did find the truth in what she was saying, but it wasn't their actions that he was ashamed of. Not as much as he was with his own. He had already broke down and told her what he didn't want to right now. He found it hard to keep things from her. He easily found a certain level of comfort with her, a comfort he felt with no one else and that scared him. He wanted to be assured that she wouldn't think he was some scumbag after she learns the rest of it. Not that what he did was a nightly occurrence or even weekly.

"It's not that," he sighed shaking his head. "It is my own actions that I am ashamed of. I never did anything without their consent; I know what no means, and I respect that, every girl I was with knew what they were getting into," he informed her.

"I may not agree with how you chose to cope with things in your life, but that you do what you have to do to make it through. Instead of letting my friends in, I pushed them away because they have the perfect family, and I spent my days in a hospital using the reason that is what I want to do with my life, and that is the truth and I like helping out, but when I am there I'm not judged like I am elsewhere. It is very much my safe haven," she easily told him, coming to terms with things on her own. "We can be messed up and broken together," she told him.

"I'd like that," he smiled, pulling her into a hug.

Before things could get too awkward between them, their flight was called to start boarding. They shared a look with each other. Wade reached down to squeeze her hand gently, to assure her that everything was going to be okay, and that he was going to be there every step of the way, if she wanted him there.


	4. Chapter 4

_**I am sorry for the nearly two week wait on this chapter. Mistakes belong to me and I apologize for any and all you might find. Lastly to my fellow Americans, have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow and for everyone else have a happy Thursday. Enjoy.**_

* * *

The plane ride to Alabama was uneventful, considering that they didn't have seats next to each other. They were on opposite sides of the plane, and they lucked out on moving after the plane was in the air to sit with each other, as the rows, they were in were full for both of them.

Wade used the time to figure out how he was going to explain his absence and who was with him without giving it away that he had taken liberty on going to New York and bringing Dr. Wilkes daughter home to where he along with Dr. Wilkes believed she belonged. He could see from the little bit of time he did spend with her that her home life was as messed up as his own, and she didn't deserve that, Harley would be the family she didn't know she needed in her life, that is what Harley Wilkes was to him after all.

Zoe on the other hand, was trying to keep herself from freaking out. She couldn't take it back now; she could get right back on a flight back to New York when they landed, but she didn't know if that is what she wanted to do. She felt like a horrible daughter for straight-up leaving and not telling her mother, but in all honesty, this felt like the better option to her. If she had waited for her mom to return home, she would've only worried and stressed the whole time, wondering if Wade was right all along, and she didn't think she could've done that. It had to be best to face this head on the way she was doing. One way or another, the truth would come out.

After getting her luggage, which consisted of one suitcase plus her carry on, she stepped aside to wait in the spot they had agreed on ahead of time for Wade. He, however, was already there waiting for her, since he only had one small bag, he had carried on.

"I can't imagine this is easy for you now that we are close; I want you to know that we can hang out in Mobile for a while until you feel comfortable enough to head to Bluebell," he told her, wanting her to be more at ease. He wasn't going to push her now that they were so close. This whole thing was about her, and that wasn't going to change now.

"Thanks for that," she smiled softly. She wasn't ready to face whatever really laid before her in Bluebell, she wasn't sure she was ever going to be ready for that. "Can we do something? It doesn't matter what," she told him, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Sure thing," he smiled, taking her suitcase, to wheel behind them as they walked out to his truck. "I know just the thing."

The problem was she didn't know what to think about what Wade had in mind, so when he parked next to Mobile's botanical gardens, she was in awe. She didn't know any guy that spent time at a botanical garden. She voiced that thought as they walked toward the door.

"My mom loved this place, brought my brother, and I multiple times a week, after she passed away, I refused to come here for nearly half a year. I don't even remember what made me come, but when I was among the flowers, didn't matter which ones, I felt like she was there with me, felt as if I was at peace with the world, and I wasn't fighting myself," he shrugged, scratching his neck.

"It's beautiful," she said softly. She didn't see the point in saying sorry; she couldn't do anything to bring his mom back, and she didn't know him when it happened, saying sorry didn't seem to be appropriate.

"The story is nothing compared to what waits inside," he told her, taking her hand once they were inside and pulled her to the one spot, he had claimed his over the years.

She laughed lightly, nearly running after him. She looked around the colors blurring together as they made their way through the flowers. When they did come to a stop, she spun in a circle looking at the flowers around her, a smile ever present on her face. After a couple of minutes of walking around the spot they were at, touching the silkiness of the flowers and smelling their sweet smell, she sat next to Wade.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she told him. While she was there among the flowers, she felt free from everything in her life. She felt as if she could just be Zoe Hart, no family drama, no trying to get ahead of herself to get into the school of her dreams to be the best damn doctor in the world, she felt like a normal teenage girl, hanging out with a friend.

She could admit that Wade was easily becoming a friend to her, and he was no longer the strange boy who showed up to turn her world upside down. They had shared things with each other that they hadn't ever let slip past their lips.

"I figured you would like it. It brings a calmness to me, figured it would do the same to you," he smiled. She was the first person he had ever brought here with him. There was just this feeling he had that she would understand the feeling this place brought better than the rest of his friends. He would like to consider Zoe a friend, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions, if she didn't feel the same way. After all, he was a crazy stranger who showed up looking to tell her about her biological father. And just because she came with didn't mean she wanted to be his friend.

"It really does," she spoke softly, turning to look at him. "Thank you for sharing this place with me and for telling me the story about your mom. I haven't known you long, but I can tell that you are a good guy, Wade Kinsella. And she would be very proud of the guy you are," she told him honestly.

He swears that his face didn't feel hot because of her words, even if it was true. "And you will never know what that means to me," he told her on the bashful side. She smiled at him, turning back to the flowers, letting the silence take over them.

* * *

An hour after walking into the botanical gardens, they went and got a quick bite to eat, before making their way to Bluebell.

"We can get you a room at the Whippoorwill Blossom Bed and Breakfast, if you don't want Harley to know who you are. I would offer you to crash at my place, but my dad, isn't the best person to be around," he stated. He had already gone over his dad back when they were still in New York, but didn't like to talk about how dysfunctional his family truly is.

"I am okay with the bed and breakfast," she answered. "I haven't changed my mind about Harley. I want to get to know him without the added pressure of him knowing I am his daughter. I know it is ridiculous, but it is what I need to do," she explained, licking her lips, only to wipe them dry and dig out her lip gloss.

"I will respect that, as far as anyone needs to know, we're friends," he said slowly.

"Friends," she smiled, liking how that sounded. "How are they going to believe that, we have only met under the fact you came to get me down here to meet Harley," she stated, feeling panic start to creep in.

"I went to summer camp, when I was 12, we can say we kept in touch through the years," he suggested.

"Saying We don't know much about each other that won't work, and we don't have much time to fill the other person in," she sighed. "So what if we keep the summer camp theory but change it to that, we weren't friends at the time, but we got to talking recently and with it being summer vacation, I decided to come here," she suggested.

"It is safer for you to be here than for me to be there for a week," he said. "But I don't know if they will believe that either. You are 16 and how many parents let their 16-year-old daughter travel to another state alone?"

"Plenty," she shrugged. "Maybe going with the truth is for the best after all," she sighed, leaning back against the seat.

"It will work out. And if anything we don't have to come clean or make a story up on how we became friends; they don't need to know that. You are here to learn about your biological father and to meet him; the rest of the town does not matter," he stated.

She gave him a smile and turned back to watch the wilderness pass them by. She liked that idea best of all. How she had become friends with Wade didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was going to learn the truth about who her father was and a plus was that by the end of this whole ordeal, she would be friends with Wade, nothing else mattered.


	5. Chapter 5

No questions were asked when they checked Zoe into a room. Which they both were grateful for. Zoe didn't need or want the whole little town in her business. Getting settled into the cute little room was easy, she didn't unpack, telling Wade that she would do it later. He asked no questions and led her out into the streets of Bluebell. Now it was his turn to show his town off to her.

"It's quaint and cute," she offered, after she had seen it all. He pointed out the practice making no move to push her in the direction where most of if not all of her answers lie. She saw the Butter Stick, Fancies, the police station, the post office, little random stores, the one bar/hang out spot for high schoolers the Rammer Jammer. "A bit sheltered even," she added on, looking around the town from the center of the town's square.

"Say what you want, Zoe, we still know things," he told her, trying his hardest to keep the hurt and anger from her thinking so little of his home.

"I didn't say you didn't," she stated, turning her brown eyes on him. "I like it here, from what I have seen, but coming from the city, I just don't think I could live here. Just like you can't see yourself living in New York. Different worlds and all that," she told him softly.

"Yeah," he agreed, scratching his head. "It's up to you on if you want to head to the practice and see Harley now, or I am sure we could find something to do to pass the time until you are ready," he told her, stuffing his hands in his pants pockets.

"Wade, my man, where have you been?" Zoe looked behind her, to see three teens her own age walking up to them. The boy who talked had short brown hair, a dazzling smile on his face when he saw Zoe. She felt her cheeks getting warm from blushing. There was a blonde girl who was eyeing her up with what could only be described as disdain in her eyes. The brunette girl who was with them was more shy than anything else. "Who is this?"

"Tucker this is Zoe, Doc these guys are George Tucker, Lemon and Annabeth," Wade introduced, nodding with his head to each one.

"Hi," Zoe smiled.

"Hey. How do you know each other?" George asked, eyes darting from one to the other.

"That don't matter," Wade dismissed, seeing Zoe tense up next to him. "We have things to do; I'll catch up with ya later," he stated, leading Zoe away.

"They're up to something." They heard Lemon say as they were walking away.

"She will figure it out; she doesn't like to leave things be," Wade informed her. "Not to push you into doing something you're not ready to do, but the sooner the better," Wade told her.

"Yeah," she sighed. She had intentions of putting the meeting with Harley off for a little bit; she only wanted a chance to let her nerves die down and everything that could and would change by meeting him. She felt as if she had a good read on Wade now that she was given a chance to know him, and she really felt as if he was truly telling the truth, something she didn't want to believe before. Coming here was to prove to herself that whatever Wade thought he knew was all a lie, but she had a gut feeling that wasn't the case any longer. "We can go do that now," she told him. Her nerves were not going to evaporate until she went ahead with meeting the man who was her so-called father.

"You sure?" He questioned, seeing the conflict in her deep brown eyes. He didn't want her to do something she wasn't ready to do. The fact she made it this far amazed him. "There is no rush, if you are not ready to do so. Don't make anyone do something you are not ready to do."

"A bit late for that, isn't it?" She teased with a glint in her eyes. Wade rolled his eyes, shooting her a smirk.

"A smidge late," he chuckled, bumping his shoulder into hers. "But seriously, I know this place we can go and no one will find us, if you want to escape, if just being here, being this close is too much for you," he stated, stopping the both of them from walking further.

She could see the practice; she had the urge to run and confront Harley about the information he had, but at the same time she wanted to hide away from the world for a bit longer. She wouldn't put off meeting Harley until the last minute, but she was frightened. Afraid that he didn't really want her, thought he did until she was standing in front of him.

"What do ya say?" Wade asked, waiting for Zoe to figure out what it is she wanted to do. He respected whatever one she picked. Saw the need to take a moment out, everything getting too heavy for her to handle. Saw the panic setting within her. This whole ordeal had to be scary for her.

"I say I don't know if I trust you enough to hide out with just you, I don't know what you are capable of doing," she stated, raising an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I can say that I would never do anything to hurt you. I would like to think that we are friends by this point, and I did trust you in New York and look at the seedy little neighborhood you took me too," he replied, raising his eyebrow at her.

"You did fit in," she teased, holding her giggles back at the look of mock horror on his face.

"That is a lie and we both know it. I fit in just as well as you fit in here, Zo," he remarked. It was supposed to be that of teasing, but his words hit her harder then they were meant to.

"You're right. Maybe I shouldn't be here, maybe this whole thing is a big mistake," she sighed, tossing her arms up, going to move around Wade to where her room was at. She was going to go home and forget about this impromptu visit to the south. Her life would go on in the same manner as it had for the past 16 years of her life.

"Zoe," he said a bit on the desperate side, reaching out for her hand. Feeling his hand on her arm, made her stop, she turned her head to look at him. His hand sliding down her arm to hold her hand in his, gently squeezing. "I didn't mean it like that. Different worlds and all," he said recalling her words moments ago. "But if I had to, I could fit into city life, and you can fit in here, but I do have this feeling that you would rather be you and stick out, then be like the rest of us here," he told her with a gentle smile.

"You are right about that," she replied. "This place you have in mind. How many people actually know about it?" She questioned, taking a shaky breath. She came all his way and it would be foolish to run off now.

"The whole town, really," he told her with a shrug. "No one goes there, except for me. At least, I haven't seen anyone else there, have a little faith if you can't trust me," he told her softly, not breaking the eye contact he had with her.

"I am putting a lot of my trust and faith in you these last few days," she thought out loud. "One more time wouldn't be the end of the world," she told him, waiting for him to lead the way.

He told her about the little pond, he was taking her too. She questioned him that of it was truly on the Mayor's property why didn't the Mayor spend time there? He only shrugged in response, not having an answer to her question, because he simply didn't know, just knew that no one was ever there because he did spend plenty of time there, and it wasn't as well kept as the rest of place, the gatehouse and the carriage house both needed work done and he voiced that he thought it was too much work for the mayor to fix up; it wasn't like they had a spring chicken for a mayor. He didn't mind though because he liked having the pond to himself.

They never made it to the pond when Wade heard a commotion behind him with a hiss of pain. When he looked behind him, Zoe was on the ground, looking at her ankle, pain wrote all over her face. He was there in a blink of an eye dropping to his knees.

"I highly believe that I have sprained my ankle," she told him, seeing the concern on display for her to see on his face.

"If you are certain that it is sprained and not broken I will help you back to your room, so you can ice it and keep it elevated," he said, getting to his feet, holding a hand out to help Zoe up.

She placed a hand in Wade's placing her opposite hand on the ground to push herself up. Instead of being on her feet, she pulled her hand from Wade's feeling a pain shoot up the hand on the ground. Looking at her hand that she cradled to her chest, she saw two fang bites, accompanied with a hint of blood.

"Cottonmouth," Wade sighed, bending down, one arm going around her back and the other arm to go under her legs. "Looks as if you'll be meeting your father sooner than you expected," he told her, starting to walk out of the woods.

"See if I ever go into the woods with you again," she teased, resting her head against his shoulder. "You don't have to carry me, but I am rather comfy for the moment," she teased him.

"I wanted to," he smiled, glancing at her. "I will remember that you are a klutz when it comes to nature," he teased. "I can take you to Dr. Breeland or to Harley, which one do prefer?"

She smiled, liking that he was still giving her a choice on if she was ready to meet Harley. She was; it was silly of her to put it off, but it was her fear holding her back. "Dr. Wilkes will be more than fine," she assured him. He gave her smile entering the practice.

"Is Dr. Wilkes in?" Wade asked.

"He will be just a moment; he's in a meeting," Emmeline informed them.

Wade placed Zoe in a chair and sat next to her. Their voices remained quiet as they laughed and joked about articles in the old magazines spread on the table before them as they waited. Her laughter stopped abruptly seeing just who was coming out of the office she was waiting to go into.

"Zoe?"

"Mom?"

Both were said at the same time making everything around them that much more awkward.

"What are you doing here?" Candice asked her daughter.

"I could ask you the same thing," she stated, her anger failing to stay hidden.

"Can we get into this later?" Wade asked. "We are here because you were bitten by a cottonmouth, and you have a sprained ankle, now is not the time for a family argument," he added on. Zoe nodded, knowing how right he was about that.

"Follow me, Zoe," Harley said, speaking up for the first time.

"Can you help?" She asked shyly looking at Wade. He smirked, getting up to pick her up bridal style, her arm going around his neck to hold on. "Thank you," she smiled.

"Can't let you suffer," he smirked, sitting her down on the exam bed. He pulled a chair up, sitting down to hold her good hand. She smiled at him happy that he was staying with her, giving her the support that she didn't know she really needed.


	6. Chapter 6

Harley had done a remarkable job in getting the snake bite taken care of, and her ankle wrapped up without uttering a word about how awkward the air around them had become. It was his warm smiles that kept her at ease and her mind from wondering to what it would've been like to have been raised with Harley in her life. It was clear now that Wade had been right all along, her mother being there and not elsewhere like she had assumed her mother was doing her job, shame on her for thinking her mother would lie to her about her work.

"I want him here," Zoe spoke up, looking between her parents, who were fighting over whether Wade should stay or go. That in itself was weird to her. If she thought pinching herself would wake her up from this nightmare she was having she would certainly do it, but if the snake bite and the sprained ankle had done nothing to wake her up, what good would a pinch do?

"This is a family affair, and _he_ doesn't belong here," Candice hissed, her eyes glaring at Wade.

"Zo, it's fine, really. I can catch ya later," he told her getting up from his chair.

"No," she pleaded. "I need you," she whispered in a begging tone. Wade nodded, sitting down.

"Zoe, he has no place here," Candice stated, her anger getting the best of her.

" _He_ has every reason to be here," she countered her mother. " _He_ is the one responsible for me being here. _He_ wanted Harley to have a chance to know _his_ daughter, something _you_ didn't want either one of us to know," she hissed out, reaching for Wade's hand.

She truly felt like he was the only one she could trust at the moment. She didn't know Harley at all, and it seemed liked all her mother was doing was lying to her with every word she spoke. Wade never once lied to her about anything, and that is what she needed.

"Wade, I thank you for taking such a risk," Harley told him with a smile filled with happiness, pride and a hint of worry with what Zoe thought could be an underlying of disappointment. "I don't think it was the smartest move you could've made. I commend you, Wade. Even so, there are times where you can't interfere in other people's life, no matter what mess it really is," he finished telling him.

"I know that," Wade sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I couldn't sit back and do nothing when you were so dang miserable about not getting to see or know your daughter. I wanted you to be happy, Harley, I thought by going to New York and talking to Zoe, that it would be best for the both of you," he explained, tightening his hold on Zoe's hand. If his family couldn't be whole, then he would do what he could to make those he cared for have the family they wanted to have.

"I feel like it was the right thing to do," Zoe spoke up, looking to Wade giving him a gentle smile turning her attention back to her parents, schooling her face. "I truly believe that if he wouldn't have done such a thing, that I wouldn't get the chance to truly know you or build a fatherly bond with you, if I was ever clued into the fact, that is," she said a bit harshly, turning her anger filled gaze on her mom.

"I did what I had to do, and I won't apologize for that. My first and only priority was you, and I had to do what was best for you and if that was marrying Ethan over you knowing anything about Harley, then so be it. I couldn't think about what I was giving up, but rather what was best for you, and maybe I was wrong, but at that point in time, I did what I thought was the right thing," Candice explained with a deep sigh.

"Then why not tell me when I thought I had done something wrong to drive Ethan away to Europe? Why not tell me sooner?" Zoe asked, sadder than anything else.

"I didn't want you to be ashamed of me. To look at me any different," she told her daughter.

"That wouldn't have made me look at you any different. Or even be ashamed of you. I love you, and I wanted you to be honest with me. Up until these last few days I thought you had been, and it seems like one thing after another." She wasn't angry at her mom, not after hearing her out. She was more sad that her mom didn't trust her enough to be honest with her.

"And for that I am sorry, Zoe." She nodded her head at her mom's words. It was going to take her sometime to forgive her completely, and she wasn't going to hold it over her head either. It was one mistake she made because she thought it was for the best. She couldn't even imagine being in such a predicament.

"I came here to see my father, but that doesn't explain why you are here," Zoe said. "How long has this been going on?" She asked, looking between the two; her eyes had even darted to Wade, and he shrugged, not knowing anything about the current situation.

"I asked her to come here, that way we could talk in person, about a father not only wanting but needing to see and learn who his daughter is. I thought it would make your mother see that I am very serious about wanting to get to know you, and that I am not going to make you choose anything you don't want," Harley explained, reaching out to lay his hand on top of Zoe's free hand resting on the table. "I want to know you in any way that I can, with whatever you give me. I don't want to take you away from the only life you have ever known. That wouldn't be fair to you. All I ask is that I be given a chance," Harley told her.

"I want that as well," Zoe told him. "And it is Summer vacation," she started to say, fidgeting in her seat, only stopping when she felt Wade give her hand a gentle squeeze. "I think it would do all of us some good if I stay here for a while," she said a shy smile on her face.

"I think that is a wonderful idea, Zoe," Harley smiled at her. "I would love nothing more than for you to stay. You have a home here, have since I knew about you," Harley told her. She gave him a smile.

"What about your Summer commitments in the city?" Candice asked.

"I can and will call the hospital tomorrow and explain things to them. I don't work there, not really. And I am certain that I can help out here at the practice to keep the work up for my college applications next year. Or I could even take the rest of the summer off and be a teen and worry about college applications once school starts. It won't hurt my chances," Zoe told her mom.

"I don't want you to give up your dreams," Candice stated.

"Who said I was?" Zoe retorted. "I will become a doctor. I, however, cannot do much with a sprained ankle and recovering from being bitten by a snake. In the long run, after I have achieved my dreams, the biggest regret, I will have if I don't stay here is taking the chance to get to know my father, to understand this other part of me. I don't want any regrets in life, and I know that is something you can understand, Mom. Staying here is something I need to do for me," she pleaded with her mom.

"Okay," Candice told her with a slight nod. "I can understand. Do you know how long you will be here?" She asked; Zoe shrugged. "Promise me that you will call me, every few days to check in with me. That way, I know things are good here. I will see you when you come home," Candice told her, getting up from her spot.

"I don't know how long I will be here, but this is where I need to be," she said, pulling her mom into a hug.

With Candice gone, the group of three remained quiet. Wade sensing that father and daughter needed a moment, got up telling them that he would go retrieve Zoe's belongs for her.

"Once you've healed up, I would very much like you to come work at the practice, if you want that. It can be for two or three days a week, leaving you plenty of time to remain being the teen you desire to be," Harley offered. Zoe let a grin overtake her face.

"I would very much like that," she replied. It was the best of both worlds for her. Something she failed at while in the city, only herself to blame for that.

"I will show you to your room," he offered, getting up. Zoe got up, following behind her father, careful of her ankle.

The first floor of the house was self-explanatory with the open floor layout of the house. The second level was just as easy. The bathroom was across the hall from her room; Harley's room was at the opposite end of the hallway. There was a guest room between the two with a twin sized bed. Taking a peek inside the guest room it was quite obvious that someone spent time there.

Stepping into her room, she smiled taking in the light shades of blue and purple that filled the walls and the bed. A desk sat opposite the bed; a dresser sat along the far wall, a stereo atop of it, next to the closet.

"It's stunning," she smiled, sitting on the bed, to elevate her ankle, the ice pack snugly secured in place. The room was perfect and very much to her liking.

Wade choose that moment to show up with her things. Harley leaving her to get settled in. Wade sat on the end of the bed, leaving her bags in front of her closet where she told him to put them.

"Thank you, for everything you have done, and I am sorry for not trusting you, for thinking this was some crazy ploy, for doubting you to begin with. Thank you for being brave enough to find me, to bring me here after everything," she told him with a sheepish smile.

"You are welcome," he smirked. "You had your reasons to hold back, and I can't fault you for that. If someone showed up demanding things from me like I did you, I would've acted more hostile than you had," he laughed, getting Zoe to laugh softly. "The town is small and I am sure you are capable of making friends on your own, though if you do need a friendly face, I am not a hard person to find," he told her.

"Right down the hall, right?" She questioned, interested in her blanket all of a sudden.

"Yeah, certain days of the month anyway," he sighed, standing up.

"Harley didn't say, not that I asked," she rushed out to tell him. "I put things together and I still wasn't certain," she shrugged, biting her lip.

"When days get too hard at home, it's nice to be away from there," he shrugged, not wanting to elaborate more. He had touched base about his dad being an alcoholic; he didn't wish to share more and Zoe got that.

"Since I am staying longer than planned, what is there to do around here for fun?" She asked with a big smile. Wade smirked, moving to sit next to her. He would show Zoe everything that she was missing out on by living in the city.


	7. Chapter 7

**Guys, I would like to apologize for the little wait with this chapter. I do hope that I can get back to updating my stories regularly now that the holiday season is behind us. Enjoy.**

* * *

It had been a few days since Zoe decided to stay with her dad in Bluebell. She found that even with her ankle feeling better, she still stayed in, not ready to face the town quite yet. Rumors spread fast through the little town; she learned that from just reading the blogs she was told about. She stayed away from the ones that involved her, not wanting to read what was being said about her. For now, she felt safe staying in. Wade came by when he could, she did learn that he had a few different jobs around town. He was a busboy at the Rammer Jammer; he worked a few hours at the auto shop and he helped out with little random jobs that no one else wanted to do themselves.

"At least today you don't smell like fish," she teased, seeing Wade enter her bedroom. It was on his last visit that he smelt like he rolled around in a bunch of rotten fish.

"I spent hours in the shower scrubbing the smell off of me, " he replied, shivering at the thought, flopping on the bed next to her, his head falling to rest in her lap. "You ever gonna leave this house?" He questioned, closing his eyes, feeling Zoe's fingers massaging his scalp.

"I don't know if I am brave enough," she sighed. Staying in by her lonesome was getting rather boring. "Do you have something in mind?" She asked, thinking it through. If she went out with Wade by her side, it wouldn't be so bad. He could keep all the questions and people's stares away from her, or at the very least keep her from thinking about it.

"Not today. I am exhausted, so exhausted that I could only make it here," he whined.

"If doing all these jobs is tiring you out this much, why don't you give a few of these random ones up?" She questioned him, returning her hand to run through his hair.

"I can't do that," he said softly, a sigh escaping him. He opened his eyes to see that Zoe was looking down at him with questions in her own eyes. "I am saving up. Money doesn't grow on trees, and if I want to accomplish my dream, I need to save up every cent I can."

"What is this dream of yours?" She never out right asked, and he had never given up any information about this dream of his. She was rather interested in what drove Wade Kinsella.

"A bar. Music and football were things that drove me, up until last year when I broke my ribs. I thought I would do anything to make it big in the music industry; I thought wrong. Music keeps me going; I just don't think it's where I need to go. I'm learning things at the Jammer, and I love it; that's where my real passion lies, " he smiled.

"You'll have to play me something," she said, giving him a smile. "As far as the owning your own bar goes, you'll make it happen, Wade. I have yet to see you fail at anything you put your mind to." It was the truth, even if she had only known him a short time. She had yet to see him fail or even take no for an answer.

"Thanks for that, Zo," he smiled at her. It meant quite a bit coming from her. More than he thought it would. She was beautiful, no doubt about that. She was a friend and over the short time, he has known her, his feelings towards her have changed for her. He wasn't brave enough to compromise the friendship they were forging for a summer fling. He couldn't do that to himself and more importantly he couldn't do that to Zoe. She was here to bond with Harley not get involved with him. "I haven't had much time to pick my guitar up. Let me get some rust out, and I will play you something," he informed her.

Zoe nodded her head. "Want to watch a movie? Harley is gone until tomorrow morning."

"You asking me to stay the night?" He questioned with a wink. "You Zoe Hart are one scandalous teen, " he joked. The smirk he wore grew bigger seeing the light dusting of a blush covering her cheeks.

"I am not doing such a thing. I am asking if you want to watch a movie, nothing more," she retorted softly, bordering on the line of being shy.

"A movie sounds good, Zo. You forgetting that if need be I can crash down the hall," he winked, sitting up. "You hungry?"

"Maybe I did forget," she stated with a shrug. "A little." After eating lunch with Harley, she had been munching a few different snacks while she read as music played to fill the silence or watched TV when she got tired of reading.

"Pick a movie that isn't some chick flick, and I'll get us some of the pizza I brought with me," he told her leaving the room.

Within a few minutes, he returned with pizza and two cans of soda for them. He got settled on one side of the bed as Zoe got the movie ready to go. She wasn't lucky enough to have a DVD player in her room, just an old VCR for now. One that Harley dug out of the attic for her to use, saying that he would get her a DVD player later if she really thought she needed one in her room. She didn't considering there was one in the living room if she wanted to use it.

"Sweet Die Hard; it is a classic," he laughed, catching the eye roll Zoe gave him from the corner of his eye.

"It was the only movie I could find, unless you want to watch Titanic?" She asked in a fake chipper voice.

"Uh no, I don't want to watch it," he stated. "You haven't watched Die Hard before have you?" He asked getting excited about it. He didn't know if he was more excited about the movie or Zoe's reaction throughout the movie.

"I have not. It is not my type of movie," she replied calmly.

"You will love it! Trust me."

"With what you've done for me, I have no reason not to trust you," she told him softly, picking at the crust of her pizza.

He could've said a snarky comment, a teasing one even. Nothing he thought of saying to her, felt right. Instead, he opted out of saying anything and smiled while the movie started. She trusted him. He wasn't going to let her down now or ever.

Before the movie could even get halfway through, Zoe was limp against him, holding him tight as she snuggled into him as she drifted further and further into her sleep. He had friends who are girls; it was that he never cuddled or snuggled with them while watching a movie. For one, it was weird to even think like that with Lemon, AB and Cricket, secondly their boyfriends were always there too. Why couldn't friends snuggle while watching a movie or more like sleeping through the movie? He was fine with it. Not that he wanted to disrupt her sleep to begin with. With a fight scene playing before him, his eyes grew heavy as they closed on their own accord, taking him into a deep sleep of his own. His head resting against the top of Zoe's as he held her close in his sleep.

When morning came they woke up in a pile of limbs tangled together. Things becoming awkward between them as they untangled body parts. Wade scratched his neck telling her he would be back in an hour to get her. She nodded, eyes looking anywhere than at him.

"Eating at the Rammer Jammer wasn't what I thought you had in mind," she said after they ordered their food.

"It's too early for Fancies; I want to feed you more than pastries. After eliminating places we are left with one choice. Unless you want to leave town, which is too late for that now," he smirked.

"I see," she told him, feeling some of the awkwardness from earlier settling over them. She would be crazy if she didn't think that Wade was cute. Even when she had been rude to him, he had been nothing but nice to her. She found herself attracted to him. She could admit that she had a crush on him, and it was only growing with every minute they shared together. Her biggest dilemma was that she was leaving for school after the summer was over with so things with Wade were to remain friends no matter what, even if it was growing harder to resist him, especially once she woke up in his warm embrace.

"I promise that I will make sure you get out of Bluebell while you are here," he told her. "About this morning, friends can…"

"Friends can cuddle and do things that couples do and remain friends?" She questioned cutting him off. "You are the first friend I have ever done that with, Wade."

"Same here except with you. Who says that friends can't do things like that? We are the ones that can determine what we do as friends and what lines we shouldn't cross. If we're comfortable enough to cuddle and fall asleep together, then we do that, Zoe. No one but us can tell us how our friendship goes."

"I like the way you think, Wade. We set our own rules," she smiled. "Now are you going to let me try those grits you refused to let me order?"

"I did that for your own good," he laughed. "Though if you promise not to spit it out you can have a bite of them," he wagered her.

"Deal," she told him with more confidence than she was feeling.

Wade found it was easier to keep his amusement at bay until their food arrived, and he really tried to seem like he was engrossed in his own food. He couldn't do it catching the spoonful of grits she was taking. He did shake his head; it was her fault for ignoring his warning.

"Graceful," he laughed, watching her itching to spit the grits out in a napkin over swallowing them. Wanting to let her out of her misery, he handed her a napkin. She took it looking him square in the eye and with a grimace swallowed the grits she had plopped into her mouth, followed up with every last drop of her glass of water. It only made him laugh louder.


	8. Chapter 8

"I think it's cool, that you're from the big city," George commented, joining Zoe at the table. She gave him a small smile, looking around to see where Wade was. It felt as if her heart had dropped into her lap seeing the blonde that was all over him. It was another reminder that she couldn't have him. That he saw nothing in her, that she was only this charity case for him to solve. It was better she figured that out now before she was in too deep, and it would actually hurt to walk away from any sort of relationship she could build with Wade. This was safer.

"I guess so," she shrugged, turning her attention back to George. He was cute and she would definitely be attracted to him, if she hadn't have met Wade first. "What's your fascination with New York?" She asked, ignoring what was happening on the other side of the bar.

"Everything," he beamed. "I'm going to live there after I'm done with law school," he shared. Both turning to look at Wade when a loud giggle rang out.

"That's excellent for you," she told him, sounding more snobish than anything else. Though is was too late to take it back. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Why law school?" She questioned, avoiding what she really wanted to ask, not that it lasted long "What's with that?" She questioned, pointing to Wade.

"It's fine. That's Joelle; it's pretty known that she has hooked up with Wade, a time or two," George told her with half a shrug, trying to be easy on her. He could see the hurt on her face. "My whole family is lawyers," he shrugged.

"More like a dozen or so," Lemon stated, joining the two of them. "Wade has never been in a serious relationship. I don't think he has it in him. I have been friends with him all our lives," Lemon shrugged. "Word of advice, don't get hung up on Wade. It will save you heartache."

"I don't plan on being anything other than friends with him," Zoe retorted, chewing on the inside of her bottom lip; her gaze falling to Wade. She couldn't see his face; the smile on Joelle's face was all the confirmation she needed. "I'm here for my father not a summer fling that would mean nothing," she quipped out harsher than intended. "When he is done with that," she motioned to Wade and the blonde, taking a deep breath. "Tell him I'll catch him later, if he's not too busy," she told the two, walking out of the establishment.

She had her pick of places she could go; she didn't go to a single one of those places, not wanting Wade to find her easily. She went to the one place where she figured he would not come looking for her at. And on top of that it would give her the chance to spend time with her father, he was the reason she was here. She was not here to fall in love.

"Zoe, dear, what are you doing here? You're not hurt are you?" Harley asked, spotting his daughter in the doorway to his office.

"I'm fine, no more injuries than I woke up with," she replied, putting her father at ease. "Wade became busy suddenly, thought I could help out, if you need it," she suggested.

"Let me see what I can find for you to do," he smiled at her exiting his office.

She looked around his office now that she had a moment to do so. Pictures of family she never knew existed lined a shelf of his book case, the hope she would get a chance to meet them, and bond filled her chest. Walking to his desk, she smiled seeing the various frames on his desk that were filled with photos of her, throughout the years. There was a baby photo, a photo of her 5th grade play when she played the mama bear in Goldilocks and the three bears. Lastly, he had her most-recent school picture.

"Your mom gave them to me. I've got more at home, ones she would send to me every few months," Harley spoke softly. He was graced with pictures of his daughter. They were the best things he was ever given until Wade showed up with his daughter in tow. "We have some files that need to be filed if you want to do that," he told her.

Zoe nodded, following her father out, smiling at the receptionist. She nodded her head listening to her father tell her what needed to be done.

It was barely five minutes into her task when she felt Wade's presence in the practice. She grew tense keeping her back to him. Of course, he would come here; she was starting to second guess her decision. Though it was nice to know that he could easily find her.

Wade groaned to himself as Joelle kept talking, the second she had sauntered her way over to him, he made it clear he was not interested in her. He heard zero of what she said to him, wanting nothing more than to leave and get back to his day off spending it with Zoe. He frowned casting a glance over to where he left Zoe, sitting at the table with George and Lemon, no sight of Zoe anywhere.

"Interesting Joelle, I must be going," he brushed her off, walking to his friends, ignoring whatever it was she called after him. "Hey guys, where'd Zoe go?"

"She saw that freak show. If you want the girl to be your friend, I would suggest you keep your conquests away from her," Lemon stated. "She may be trying to weasel the practice from my father, but that does not mean I will sit idly by and watch you hurt her," Lemon scolded him.

"Lemon is right. She didn't say," George told him. "On her way out, she said she would catch up with you later, if you weren't busy. She was hurt, devastated even," George shrugged.

"It wasn't like that. I don't even want to talk to Joelle," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Dude, you're telling the wrong people," George told him. "I suggest you figure out what you want. I would hate for you to lead her on."

Wade nodded heading out. His only mission was to make things right with Zoe. She was his friend. He wasn't going to let himself think about having anything more with her; he couldn't and wouldn't do that to either one of them.

He thought about going to a few different spots he showed her on her first day in town. He thought against those ideas and headed straight to the practice, a knowing feeling settling in his stomach that she would seek the comfort of her father without really knowing she was doing that.

He watched from the window. He messed things up without even trying to do so. She did deserve an apology; he was second guessing if he should go in there and interrupt what she was doing. Time away would be good, only if he wasn't having a problem with waiting. He waited a few minutes taking a few deep breaths, walking in with his head held high.

"Wade, are you injured?" Harley asked with a knowing grin.

"Other than my pride, I'm alright," he answered. "Can I talk to Zoe for a moment?" He questioned, suddenly feeling nervous.

"I can't answer that for you, boy. That is up to her," he chuckled, getting back to his own work.

"I'm busy, Wade," she told him, not bothering to look up. "I'm surprised you remembered I was there," she snarled out, the second his shadow fell over her. "Joelle get bored with you?" She challenged in a hiss.

"I deserved that. You have to know that I didn't want to talk to her. I wanted to get back to you. It is supposed to be our day to hang out. I'm sorry for making you think otherwise," he told her letting her comments go.

"Your plans with Joelle, fell through, huh?" She sneered.

"I don't deserve this, Zoe. She came up to me; I didn't go to her. The only plans I had for today, we're with you. I see now that isn't gonna happen. See ya around Zoe," he gritted out, stalking out of the practice looking for something to do. Something to keep his mind off of Zoe. Maybe staying away would only end up being a good thing for them both in the long run. Her life wasn't here, and he wasn't going to stop being who he was to make her more comfortable. She made it clear to him multiple times that she was here for Harley. He didn't need to get in the way of that. He wasn't willing to move to be with her, and she wasn't willing to give up her dreams in life for him. It was silly, heck crazy for even thinking things along that line.

"Where you been, Wade?" Meatball asked, walking up to him.

"Around," he shrugged. "What are you up to?"

"Gonna go jam, wanna join?"

"Heck ya," he jumped at the chance. Zoe was mad at him; it was best to leave that be for a while. He thought he knew her, but seeing this attitude come back, maybe this was who she was, and he wanted no part to be around her with such an attitude.

Zoe sighed, watching him walk off laughing and horsing around. She would like to take her words and attitude towards him back. She was in the wrong. It hurt to know that he didn't feel the same way about her. She would get over this crush on him. A little separation would do her some good in that regard.

"If you ask me, I say you both are being stupid," Lemon stated, standing next to her. "It's not about his past. If you can accept him for who he is, what he had done shouldn't matter. He cares about you, and you care about him. That is friends, is it not?"

"Why do you care, Lemon? Earlier, you wanted this to happen. If you didn't you would have never mentioned who Joelle was to me."

"Actually, that was George," Lemon pointed out. "I hate seeing you upset and him as well," she confessed with a sigh. "I thought it would be fun to watch; I was wrong for that, I am sorry."

"You are forgiven," she sighed. "Just please don't do it again," Zoe warned. "I hate that you are right, and I will talk to him just not today." She needed time. Didn't matter how much time, she just needed time to figure things out.

"I wouldn't wait too long, though space is a good thing," Lemon said going to her father's office.

With a sigh, she got back to work, while she thought of what she could say to Wade when she saw him again.


	9. Chapter 9

**I am sorry for taking nearly two weeks to update. I had this chapter planned out, until my personal life threw a monkey wrench in my way and it left me sad and unable to not only write but read as well. I am happy to report that I am back on track until some point in the spring. Enjoy.**

* * *

Between spending time at the practice to help out and spending time in her room, it was rather easy to avoid Wade over the last few days. Not that he was making it hard to do so. She missed him. He was her friend, and it wasn't like she had staked a claim in him. She knew dating him wouldn't work out. Being jealous was easy when he was the only friend she had in town. Lemon offered for her to spend time with her, Zoe declined every time, having a feeling that it was more Bricks doing than Lemon herself.

Between the practice and her bedroom, there was only so much she could take. So that offer to go shopping with Lemon and a few others, was too good to pass up.

She had a blast with Annabeth, enjoyed a few conversations with Cricket. She wasn't on good terms with Lemon; they got along, and at times it felt as if they were friends, under all of that, Zoe still felt as if Lemon was judging her. She asked Lemon a few times; she never did get a straight answer for her question. Lemon would wave it off and go back to talking about something else.

It wasn't until they stopped by the food court for lunch that the tiniest hint of regret started to seep in, when she saw that they were joining a few guys. Wade among them. She figured she would've been okay, if she were able to sit on the opposite end of the table than he was, but no, she was stuck sitting across from him.

For the most part, things went smoothly between them. It wasn't often when they would share an awkward and uncomfortable look. It did happen more than they liked for it to. Multiple times both went to start a conversation with the other one, it didn't work out.

"Can we talk?" Wade asked, his nerves showing. Zoe seeing that the girls wouldn't notice her being gone for a while, nodded her head. "I'm sorry about the other day. You ought to know that she came up to me, I wanted nuthin to do with her."

"I feel like I should be the one apologizing, Wade. You did nothing wrong. I was having a hard time in seeing who you are. I shouldn't have judged you for learning about who you are. You clearly had a past before showing up to drag me here. I'm sorry," she told him, looking down at the sticky floor.

"I can't pretend that doesn't hurt," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"We can move forward and put this whole ordeal behind us. I thought we were friends, and friends fight. The truth is that I feel more like the person my mom would want me to be when I'm around you. And I like that feelin'," he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It is our first fight as friends, which wasn't much of a fight, avoidance is more like it," she corrected him. "We are friends, Wade. This is not going to change that. I promise you," she smiled.

"Good," he replied, pulling her in for a long over due hug. "We can find the others, or we can do our own thing for a bit saying we tried to find them, but had no luck in doing so," he suggested.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked, ready to spend time with Wade. They lost enough time by staying away from each other.

That afternoon shared more laughs than either one could ever remember sharing. They walked around the mall making small jokes between each other. Eyes sparkled with mischief when they ran into their group of friends. They shared one look with each other when questioned what they had been up to and broke out into a fit of laughter.

The more they got questioned, the more Zoe felt outraged by how quick everyone was quick to assume and judge them for something they didn't even do. There is no way she would hook up with anyone in a public restroom. That is how she found herself in Wade's truck instead of in the backseat of Lemon's car.

"If we're not going back to Bluebell, where are we going?" She questioned.

"You caught that huh?" He questioned with a chuckle. It was rather hard to miss. She may be new, but she has made the trip from Bluebell to Mobile on a few different occasions. She was certain they started off going the wrong direction, and Wade did nothing to correct the way they were going. "Just this little place my brother brought me to a time or two," he shrugged.

"I didn't know you had a brother," she commented, going over everything he had told her. She couldn't recall him ever telling her that bit of information. She was positive she would remember hearing about his brother.

"He was my best friend once upon a time. He took off, leaving me behind. I don't talk about him much," he explained, leaving everything he didn't want to talk about out. He didn't want to bring down their time together with his sad tale.

"I can tell there are plenty of things I am missing, and that it has something to do with your mom passing away," she said softly. "I won't pressure you into telling me anything you don't want to," she told him. He nodded grateful for that. "Is this place magical or something?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He smirked, parking his truck. "This is where we have to walk," he announced, pulling his keys from the ignition.

"You said nothing about walking!" She exclaimed, a mock of annoyance on her face, meeting him in front of the truck.

"I just did," he chuckled, grabbing her hand to pull her after him, on the path that went narrower the further they walked it.

"We don't have the best record to be walking through yet another trail covered deeply with overgrown brush and tree roots to be sticking out," she commented with a faint smile, following behind him, her hand firmly in his still.

"We'll be careful this time," he said, sending a wink her way. She smiled, keeping an eye on the ground and in front of her.

After a ten-minute hike which found Zoe tripping once, giving Wade the chance to catch her, they made it to a little clearing. She thought that was where they were stopping. She was proven wrong, when Wade tugged on her hand, getting her to keep walking.

Through another smaller path, they came out to an over look. She pulled him closer, resting her head on his arm, looking out over the sparkling blue water under the sun's watch.

"This is breathtaking," she whispered. She would love to see the place at dusk, as the sun was sitting for the night.

"This is nothing," he told her, moving from her grasp to sit down under the shade of an oak tree.

"How's that?" Zoe asked, sitting next to him. He shook his head, his gaze locked onto the endless water in front of them.

Remaining silent was all it took for Wade to open up to her about everything. He told stories he could remember from when his family was whole. How he would follow his brother around everywhere. More often than not, they would fight, the punishments worth it. From there he told the story about his mom getting sick with cancer, how hard it was for him to understand what was going on. That he knew that no matter the outcome it would change his family forever. How big of an impact her death had on them all. How Earl looks for the answer at the bottom of any alcohol bottle, how Jesse ran from the problems at home and how he did anything he could do to cope with losing his mom before he was ready to let her go. How he had and still has the whole town there for him.

She listened intently, as he laughed and cried his way through the memories. Watched his eyes light up when he told a story about his family before a certain point, watched his anger flare inside of him at many points. She didn't flinch, or move away. She moved closer to him, to hold him.

With his tale over, they sat in silence. Telling him sorry wasn't going to fix anything, and it was something he didn't need to hear. One of the only things she could do was tell her own tale.

She told him about how happy she was with her parents when she was younger, how she had everything when it came to their love. That even though they worked over 40 hours a week, it never felt like that. Not until she broke her arm and her father pulled away, moved across the Atlantic ocean to be away from her. She told him that after Ethan left, her mother buried herself in work, and it was hard to capture any amount of her mother's time. How it was easier to bury herself into helping out at the hospital than being at home in an empty house. How being here with Harley felt like the home she had when she was a little girl, the feeling of home she was looking for.

Spending the afternoon talking about things you could never share with anyone else, stole hours from them. Sitting there watching the purples, oranges, and pinks dance across the gentle waves, they felt at peace for what felt like the first time in years.


	10. Chapter 10

Getting home she thought she would be lucky enough to miss her father. That he would already be in bed sound asleep. The lights were off, the only light on was the porch light.

Sneaking up to her room, was a no go, as the second her foot hit the bottom step, the light in the living room turned on. With a sigh, she headed for the living room.

"What are you doing?" Harley asked. She said nothing. "It's a quarter to eleven; I get no call that you are going to be out late. I get no call that your plans changed at all. I ask again, Zoe, what are you doing?" Seeing him so angry, scared her a bit. He had been nothing but sweet and loving, and now he was mad at her, had every right to be mad at her. She was the one in the wrong.

"Having fun with a friend," she replied, sticking to the truth even if it was a bit vague.

"A friend who happens to be Wade Kinsella. I like the boy, but he's one of those boys you don't want hanging around your daughter alone."

"Then trust your daughter," she snapped at him. "I won't stay away from the one person that I am truly friends with, because you have a problem with his reputation. He may have slept with those girls, but they got into bed with him knowingly. Why do you suddenly have a problem with Wade? He has a room here?" She asked, her voice getting louder and angrier.

"I don't have a problem with him. I worry about you. I don't want to see you get hurt. To rush into something you aren't ready for," he told her calmly. "What Wade does is none of my concern until what he does involves my daughter. Who thinks it is okay to stay out as late as she pleases with a boy, without calling to inform her father," he explained, getting his emotions in check.

"I'm sorry about not calling. I didn't even think about that. I don't make a habit out of staying out all night. Things are different here, and I am still learning how to deal with it. I can promise you that it won't happen again. I will try to be better at informing you of my whereabouts," she told him. After not having to have a rule like that, it was going to be a bit hard to remember to let her father know if a plan changes while she is out.

"Okay," he told her, letting her believe that was the end of it. "You're still grounded for a week," he told her, heading off. "Goodnight sweetie," he said.

"Night," she replied, heading up to her room.

She tried to keep the smile from her face; it was one of the things she couldn't control. It was the first time in her 16 years of life that she was being grounded for breaking a rule, for making a parent worry. Of course, she got into trouble when she was a kid, a good stern talking to, just never grounded. As the years passed it was hard to get grounded when your mom wasn't around to make sure you, we're obeying any rules that were in place. Being grounded may have been a punishment, one she would grow to hate, right now she felt the opposite and relished in the fact that she was grounded for a week. It showed her that Harley did care a great deal about her and didn't want her to stay because he thought it was the right thing to do.

The following day she was free to do as she pleased in the confines of the house, without using the phone or having people come over. It should have been hell for her, she should be bored out of her mind. She wasn't not really. She spent the morning curled up on the couch reading a book she found in her father's study, with a steaming cup of tea. When lunchtime rolled around she made herself a sandwich with a side of salad and a cup of iced tea. It was after she finished lunch and cleaned up her mess that she was having a hard time, she wasn't in the mood to read her book any longer. The quietness of the house was starting to take its toll on her. Company would be great to have.

She would clean the house if Harley didn't already keep it in pristine conditions. She had no such luck in finding a speck of dust anywhere in the house. Grabbing the book, she spent all morning reading, she headed outside to the backyard, relaxing in the hammock that was nestled under the shade. The book lay on her stomach as she looked up at the sky watching as the clouds floated by at their own slow pace, a handful going by faster than others.

"Where have you been?" The voice startled her that she nearly fell on her butt right out of the hammock.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed, getting her racing heart to calm down in her chest.

"Making sure you are alright," he replied. He spent most his day waiting to see if Zoe would show up. Called a handful of times only for his call to go straight to voicemail each and every time. He didn't want to believe that she was avoiding him over what he shared with her the night previous, the more it seemed like she was avoiding him the more it seemed likely that she no longer wanted anything to do with him. He checked the practice and she wasn't there; neither was Harley, though he was out on the job.

"I'm good; a tad bored this afternoon," she shrugged. "You shouldn't be here. You need to go before my dad comes home," she panicked, getting to her feet to shove him out of the yard.

"Why?" He asked, taking her hands in his, getting her to stop pushing him.

"I'm grounded for the week because I didn't call home and inform him on the change of plans I had," she told him. "Which is your fault," she accused, pulling her hands from his.

"Nice try, I didn't tell you, not to call Harley," he dryly laughed, heading into the house, Zoe on his tail.

"What are you doing?" She asked, seeing him plop down on the couch, no intent on leaving. "You have to go, Wade. If you don't I'm going to be in bigger trouble than I am in now with more time tacked onto my grounding." She was fine with a week, longer she didn't want that. She did want to enjoy her summer in Bluebell and not spend it grounded.

"You won't be in trouble," he promised. He could easily see that she didn't believe him. "You forgetting that when things are too unbearable at home, I stay here?" He asked.

"Is that the truth or are you using it as an excuse?" She questioned, sitting in the chair. "Because if you are using it as an excuse, it won't hold up for the whole week," she explained her thoughts.

"Leave that to me," he replied with a smug smirk on full display. "We all need someone on the inside with us," he winked.

"Fine, but if you cost me a longer sentence, you're dead," she warned.

"Noted," he chuckled. "When is your father due home?" He questioned. Zoe shrugged her shoulders. She was still asleep when he left for work. "Okay anything we can do for fun?" He asked then.

"Music, is about it. The TV is off limits," she told him.

"Or we can play spin the bottle," he teased. "Ya know have a real party going."

"No parties," she warned him, pointing at him. "Spin the bottle is lame with two people," she responded.

"Can you blame me for wanting an excuse to kiss you?" He asked, his smirk slipping from his face.

"You want to kiss me?" She asked, swallowing nervously.

"Since the day you bit my head off in New York at the hospital," he replied honestly.

"It wouldn't work out," she said, moving to the couch. "I'm leaving at the end of summer," she reminded him, inching closer.

"I know," he replied, placing his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. "Says who?"

"Me," she whispered, running her tongue across her lips. "You."

"I say the hell with it," he husked out, pulling her down on his lap, his lips' fusing with hers.

"We can't," she said, breaking the kiss, moving away from him to not only catch her breath, but to also get her heart to settle down once again.

"We can," he informed her, getting up. His head a mess from the feelings rushing through his body. "No one and I mean no one can tell us what we can be, Zoe. Think about it," he told her. "Please," he begged, kissing her cheek and leaving her be.

She fell into the chair, her thoughts a jumbled mess of what she wanted, of things that would end horrible if she followed through with what she wanted. She couldn't think about things ending on a high note if she jumped into anything more than a friendship with Wade, even if it was clear she wanted more.

"How was your day?" Harley asked, breaking his daughter from her thoughts.

"It was good," she smiled. "Do you think… forget it," she said getting up. "Need help with anything?"

"I will let you help me with dinner if you tell me what it is you were going to say," he countered with.

"Was there ever a time you let your heart lead you, knowing it would never work out?" She asked, moving to lean on the kitchen counter. "And did you regret it?"

"There was a time," he smiled, handing her some corn to husk. "And no I don't regret it because I got you out of the deal. Whatever you feel, let it lead you to where it wants you to go. Listen to your heart, you will be surprised to learn that many different things can work out," he told her.

"Maybe," she shrugged. "For the record, I'm happy to know that you don't regret having me."

"You are the one thing in my life I could never regret, there many things I want to change when it comes to you, but never having you here. I love you, Zoe."

"I love you too, dad," she smiled through her tears of joy, hugging him tight.


	11. Chapter 11

The longer the week of her grounding wore on, the more she started to hate being grounded and promised herself that she would stay out of trouble during the rest of her time in Bluebell.

The one good thing about spending the week grounded, other than helping out at the practice was that when she was at home, it gave her the time she needed to think about her feelings for Wade. She was still reluctant to start anything with him. It had nothing to do with his past and the player tendencies he was known to have. It was more of the fact that she was going home and their relationship would be of one that is mostly long distance. That wouldn't be fair to either one of them, not really.

Each reason she came up with on why it was bad to jump into a relationship with him, there was one thought she came back to. She didn't want to be old thinking back on the life she lived to regret never taking a chance on Wade. Things could end in a multiple of ways, though the risk was worth the reward. If they didn't work out, then they could walk away knowing they tried and that was better than not trying, not knowing what could be there between them. It was worth the risk. She wasn't willing to walk away from something that could potentially end on a high note, a very high note. Anything is possible.

She would be foolish not to try.

With her mind made up on what she was going to do, it was a tad harder to actually follow through with her actions. Countless times her phone was in her hand, her thumb hovering over Wade's name, ready to call him, or at the very least send him a message of some sort. Each time she came up with the courage to reach out to him, the courage she built up was quickly replaced with fear. She was scared and afraid. Nothing she did could get it to go away.

She quickly grabbed what she needed and headed out for a walk. Fresh air would do her some good. And since she was no longer grounded she could go for a proper walk and not pace around the backyard.

She smiled, saying a quick hello to the few people she passed. Lost in thought she found herself in front of Wade's house, not even realizing that she walked that long or in that direction. It was the first time she visited his house. Told her in passing the direction to his house. Sitting on the steps to wait for him to either realize she was there or for him to get home, she noticed that a few things around the outside of the house and the yard needed a bit of fixing up.

"He ain't home," grumbled a rough voice from behind her, frightening the daylights out of her.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked out, jumping up and looking at him. "I didn't mean to come off as a weirdo or whatever, I didn't even know I ended up here, or that I was headed here until I was here," she rushed out, her hands flying through the air as she talked. "I'm Zoe, Harley's daughter," she introduced, catching a much-needed breath of oxygen.

"Wade's father, Earl," he told her amused. "You're the one he went chasing after," he said. She went to apologize, stopping herself. She didn't have a single thing to be sorry about. She didn't ask Wade to come chase after her. "I don't agree with how he went about it, though I'm proud of him for doing it," he clarified.

"I should go; I don't want to intrude," she told him with a nervous smile.

"It would be no bother to me, dear. I can show you all sorts of embarrassing baby photos of Wade. I'm afraid I don't have much the older he got," he told her with a nervous smile of his own, a hint of embarrassment shining through.

"Baby pics do sound like the perfect blackmail if I need it at any point," she giggled lightly, following Earl in the house.

Her surprise at how neat and clean the house is, didn't show on her face, instead she made herself comfy on the couch.

"Since you've made yourself at home," he smiled lightly. "Would like something to drink?"

"Sure, whatever you have is fine," she told him politely.

He returned a few moments later with lemonade and a photo album. "This is the first time I'm meeting any of Wade's girlfriends."

"Oh no, we are only friends," she told him, fidgeting.

He smiled knowingly, flipping the first photo album open pointing at a picture of Jesse holding Wade in the hospital, letting the bit of awkwardness that wanted to settle in, dissipate.

Wade finished work early, his mind filled with the possible rejection from Zoe. It is one of the main reasons on why he kept avoiding her. Even with her being grounded, he was more than welcomed to stay there, he checked in with Harley, not wanting to cause more trouble for Zoe. He, however, couldn't bring himself to do such a thing, wanting to give Zoe time to think about what she wanted.

The second his lips tasted hers, his mind and body were on the same page. He wanted to be with Zoe Hart. As long as they tried every single day when she went back home, they could make it work out. He was determined to make things work out.

Up until this point in his life, the only thing he regrets is between him and Jesse. And that can be fixed with time. If he missed his chance with Zoe, that would be the biggest regret of his life. There was no way he could go through life knowing that there was a chance that Zoe could possibly be the one, and he was dumb enough to let her go.

Being with Zoe would be a challenge, and he needed to be careful because a wrong slip up would send Zoe in a panic about them not making it through whatever was going to come their way well they figured things out.

One of the only things that he could think about doing was prove to her that they can make it work, all she needs to do is have trust in each other.

Walking by Zoe's home in Bluebell, he thought about stopping in to convince her in giving them a real chance. Looking down, he decided it would be best if he headed home to come up with more of a game plan on what he could say and how he should say it to her without scaring her off.

Walking up to her and pulling her in for a kiss, as fun as that would be, he couldn't do that. Words would need to be said. He was mentally getting himself ready for a fight with her. Getting ready to counter everything she had to say on why they wouldn't work out.

He can't treat Zoe the same way as the rest of them. She was different. She was girlfriend material, she deserved to be treated like the princess she truly is. Thinking of anyone else making her smile, making her laugh, holding her in their arms for no other reason than they can, ate him up on the inside. He is man enough to admit that even thinking about that made him jealous. He wanted to be the one to receive all her smiles, to hear her laughter, to hold her, to just be with her, to share moments together; however, long that may be.

He frowned hearing laughter spewing out from his house. That was definitely his dad laughing and was that Zoe's laughter mixed in with his fathers? He froze by the door going over possible reasons that were realistic on why his friend/crush, the first real crush he's had since the 6th grade, was inside his house chumming it up with his alcoholic father?

Zero. That is the number of reasons that stuck out to him. Zero. The number that made any sense on why she came to his house.

"What's going on?" He asked, pushing himself to enter the house. Visibly surprised to see the house remained clean and not a single bottle empty or full lay around on any given surface. It wouldn't be the first time his father gave the bottle up for a day or two. It is only a matter of time before he falls down the rabbit hole once more.

"I wanted to talk to you. My mind was so occupied that I ended up here without even realizing it. The plan I went with was to wait for you on the steps, until your dad offered baby pictures," she quickly explained, pointing to the albums that lay scattered around them. "I must say you were a chunky little baby. A cute baby, adorable even," she gushed, a blush dusting her cheeks.

He groaned, knowing there was nothing he could do about that now. Instead, he refrained from saying anything. "If you're done checking baby me out, we can head up to my room for that talk. I have something I want to run past you as well," he said, motioning to the stairs.

"Of course," she said getting up.

"Zoe, we would be honored if you stayed for dinner," Earl invited her.

"Um sure," she agreed only after looking at Wade seeing him shrug, leaving the choice up to her.

"Don't forget to call your dad. I just got you back; I don't need to lose you again," he playfully teased, tacking a wink to the end of his sentence.

She gave him a shove pulling her phone out to call her father. Wade was right, she needed to let her father know that she wouldn't be home for dinner, unless things didn't go according to plan, that part she kept to herself.

Ending the call with her father getting the okay, she took a deep breath entering Wade's room.


	12. Chapter 12

"Your dad seems like a pretty good guy," Zoe commented, looking around Wade's room. Music and sport posters filled the blueish grey walls, his unmade bed sat off against the wall in the center of the room, a few books laid throughout the room. She could only assume that his guitar was in the case leaning against his dresser. A few trophies sat a top of a shelf. Dirty clothes lingering everywhere tied the room together quite nicely.

"Today he is," Wade shrugged. "Sorry about the mess," he said looking around taking in the disaster that is his room.

"Don't worry about it," she waved him off. "Shows me who the real Wade is. It is safe to sit on your bed, right? You didn't bring any of your girls here did you?" She asked, biting her lip, doing her best to keep any emotion from her voice.

"Doc, you are the first girl whom I have invited into my room. Heck you're the first one allowed into my house," he told her, watching the relief fill her face. He took that as a sign that maybe not all was lost with her and what he needed to say would be enough to convince her that they could try to be a couple.

"You didn't have a go alone did you?" She asked looking at him. Wade burst out in laughter, pushing her down on his bed.

"I leave that activity for the shower, Doc," he winked, sitting next to her. "Bed is all clean."

Silence soon followed after that was said, both growing nervous. It was a lot to take in, and they wanted to put it delicately as not to ruin what friendship that already blossomed between them.

"I thought about what you said," Zoe said breaking the lingering silence. Wade looked at her waiting for her to say more, afraid that if he said anything, he would ruin what it is she had to tell him. "You're right. What we do is for us to decide. Not anyone else."

"What is it you are saying, Zoe?" He asked, putting a damper on how anxious he was feeling at the next words spoken from her. He wanted to be with her. To try. He knew that if she felt otherwise, he wouldn't push her; he would do enough to show her that they could work out. He knew at the end of the day what she wanted to do was just as important as what he wanted, and he wouldn't, couldn't push her into doing something she didn't want to do.

"What I am saying is that I don't want to regret this moment years from now, I don't want to be sitting there when I am old asking myself what if," she said, moving closer to him. "What I am saying is that I want to try this."

Wade didn't need to hear more, pulling Zoe closer, his lips moving against hers, gave Zoe all she needed to know. Getting lost in the kiss was easy, between the kiss getting deepened, hands tangling in hair, fingers exploring bare skin under shirts. Falling back on the bed, Wade on top of Zoe felt natural.

With the kiss being broken, Wade gazed down into Zoe's brown orbs, his thumb caressing her cheek. Matching grins on their swollen lips.

"I am taking you out tomorrow night," he whispered against her lips.

"Oh yeah?" She questioned, running a hand through his hair. "Why not tonight?"

"I have other things in mind," he grinned, ghosting his lips over hers. Not to mention they already has plans for tonight, not that he couldn't cancel said plans with his father.

"I am not like the rest of them, Wade. If you think that I have made a big mistake," she said, pushing against his chest.

"I am no fool," he said softly, encasing her hand with his. Bringing it to his lips to lightly kiss her knuckles. "I will never pressure you into anything. I want to be with you because you are different. You challenge me in ways no one can. I want to be your boyfriend, Zoe. I am not with you to sleep with you," he assured her, pressing a kiss to the palm of her hand.

"That's good to know," she answered back with a smile. "I have to ask what you had in mind then?"

"I figured we could hide away up here before going out in public and denying each other…"

"Why would we do that for?" She asked, cutting him off. "I don't care if this whole town knows we are together or the rumors that will spread like wildfire. I want to hold your hand; I want to be in your arms; I don't want to act like we are only friends, Wade. If I can't have that out there, I don't want any of it," she told him in a huff. "If I can't share a kiss with you whenever I want, being with you won't be worth it. I have very little time left, and I will not act like there is nothing between us."

"Then you can jump me anytime anywhere you want to," he smirked. "I only said what I did not wanting to subject you to that. Dating in a small town is different than in that city of yours. Especially when you are dating the town bad boy," he sighed lightly.

"You are better than the reputation that follows you around, Wade," she said softly, cupping his cheek. "You can change your playboy status and show everyone who the real Wade Kinsella is. The only person you need to please is yourself."

"And my really hot girlfriend," he smirked, rolling onto his back, pulling her on top of himself.

"Nice save," she giggled, nudging her nose against his.

"I try," he chuckled, nipping at her bottom lip. She smiled resting her head against his chest, running her hand over his chest down his arm to lace her fingers with his. "Not to mention we have dinner plans with my dad," he reminded her, earning himself a dusting of a blush to her cheeks.

Wade then proceed to bring their entwined hands to his mouth, planting a soft kiss to the back of her hand.

"Sports huh?" She questioned, catching sight of the trophies once more.

"Something wrong with that?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his voice, his thumb rubbing a circle in her hip.

"No, of course not," she gasped, sitting up some to look him in the eye. "I took you more of the brooding music type," she shrugged, earning a laugh from Wade.

"Can't a guy do both?" He asked, pulling her back down to him.

"I guess," she smiled. "What sport do you play?"

"Football. I started as a little tyke in pee-wee football. Played on the same team as my brother, my dad was a coach, my mom cheering us on. Nothing better than that," he explained with a soft smile. "After everything, football was my escape from everything; it was and still is the one place I feel the closest to my mom," he shared.

"That is sweet," she cooed, kissing his cheek noisily. "I think this side is my favorite side," she told him honestly. "The raw, sweet side that makes up one Wade Kinsella, the real Wade," she explained, enjoying the blush that covered his cheeks.

"I like all sides of Zoe Hart," he retorted.

Their lips brushed lightly together, when a throat being cleared broke them apart. Zoe blushed, burying her head into her newly crowned boyfriend's shoulder. Wade chuckling beneath her.

"Yes?" Wade asked, looking over to his father, holding back the annoyance he felt towards him for ruining their little moment.

"This seems like a good moment to break this little moment up," Earl chuckled, quickly turning somber. "That's not actually why I came up here. We'll have to take that rain check on dinner, Zoe," he said.

"What!? Why?" She asked, shooting her head up to look at Earl. Her embarrassment over the situation long gone. She cleared it with her dad, and she was looking forward to the meal. To learn about more about Wade.

"Your father was rushed to Mobile. I have no idea what's going on," he told her.

"What do you mean that he was rushed to Mobile?" She asked, her voice shaky, pushing herself away from Wade to pace around the room. "That can't be right!" She exclaimed, tossing her hands in the air. "He was perfectly fine this morning," she said.

"Zoe," Wade said, stepping into her path. "Breath," he instructed seeing the signs for a panic attack ready to set in. "We will go and see what's going on," he informed her. Zoe nodded her head, taking his hand in hers, following him down the stairs.

The only time she let go of his hand, was when she got into his truck. She was quick to find his hand once more with him headed toward the direction of Mobile. She remained quiet watching the scenery pass her by with blurry eyes.

Wade often tried to start a conversation, instead choosing to remain silent, doing the most he could by holding her hand and getting them to Mobile in one piece.


	13. Chapter 13

Waiting had to be the worst part of the whole experience for Zoe. Not knowing what was taking place, no update. Nearly impossible to keep from thinking that she might lose her father, before she is given the chance to truly know him, to know what made Harley, who he is. Wade sat there holding Zoe close, not sure what he could say to put her at ease. There wasn't much he could say to ease her worry, not until the doctor came to tell them what was going on with her father.

Wade put his focus on Zoe, not wanting to give into his thoughts about what could be going on back there. He would be devastated if something tragic happened, but he couldn't afford to think like that, not when he had Zoe crying in his arms, needing him to be calm and be a comfort for her through this thing. To be the support of strength she needed.

When the doctor did come out to tell Zoe what was going on he stayed back, feeling it was wrong, like he was prying into family business that is not his family. When the tears started in, he wasted no time in getting to her side, letting her cry on his shoulder.

Time was lost to him as he stood in the middle of the waiting room holding his girlfriend as she cried for her father, he still didn't know what happened or what was going on with him now, as much as he wanted to know, it was best he remain quiet comforting his very upset girlfriend. Waiting for her to calm down enough to tell him.

"He had a heart attack," she whispered, burying her head further into his shoulder. "If he wouldn't have been at the practice, he could be…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence let alone that trace of thought.

"Hey now, we don't need to think like that. He is in good hands now; nothing will keep him from making it out of this," he stated, tightening his hold on her that much more.

"You don't know that," she urged.

"No, I don't know that," he told her, pulling away to cup her face, using the pads of his tumbs to wipe the tears away. "But that doesn't change the fact I believe he will be okay. We need to believe and have faith that he will be okay, that he will make it out of this," he told her, capturing her gaze with his own. "We can't count him out now. We can't give in to the negative thoughts," he urged her.

"Okay," she nodded, resting her head against his shoulder, letting her eyes drift shut.

Finding the floor more comfortable than that of the chairs, they sat on the floor, Zoe curled up on Wade's lap, who rested his back against the wall. Other than themselves, Brick made up the third person in the otherwise empty waiting room, keeping to himself. There was nothing he could say, that Wade hadn't already said to comfort Zoe.

"Zoe," Wade whispered, running a hand through her hair to gently wake her up. Feeling her move slightly on his lap, he continued with what she missed out on hearing when the doctor came into the room. "Your dad is out of surgery and set up in his room, and now awake."

"You will come with me, right?" She asked in a small voice, not moving an inch.

"What kind of question is that?" He asked back, kissing her temple. Wade kept Zoe close to his side, afraid she might fall apart, following the doctor to where Harley's room was located at. "We can stay right here until you are ready to walk through that door," he told her.

She gave him a weak smile, taking a hold of the door handle. She didn't know how she would manage to walk into the room without Wade holding her up, giving her the strength she needed to have. Everything was scary about the situation she found herself in. She knew how close she could have come to losing the man she learned fathered her. That was something she was not ready for. The last 16 years of her life were wasted on not knowing him and now that he was in her life; she wasn't ready to let him go.

Picturing her dad lying there, motionless was one of many images to cross her mind. Seeing her dad awake a hint of a smile on his face, the beeping of the machines filling the silence of the room, that was the only image she needed to see.

"How you feeling?" She asked, sitting in the chair next to his bed. "Need anything?" She asked, standing up quickly.

"I am fine, Zoe, relax," Harley told her. "You being here is enough," he told her, gently patting her hand. "What were you two kids up to?" He asked, wanting to get his daughter to relax.

"Talking, deciding things," Zoe shrugged. "Normal teenage things."

"That's a bit vague, sweetie," Harley chuckled. "Mind to enlighten me on these teenage things?"

"I am not trying to be," she told him, fiddling with her hands in her lap. "We were talking and deciding things, mainly things about us. I guess now is a good time as any," she said, suddenly becoming nervous. Telling your father you have a boyfriend and him meeting your boyfriend are two very different things, even if said boyfriend knows your father better than you do.

"I've already had a heart attack; we can rule that out, sweetie," he teased lightly getting a scowl in return.

"Not funny," she stated, turning serious, in no mood to joke about his health condition, not when he was still in the hospital. "We have decided to try dating," she filled her father in.

"You can stop hiding now, boy," Harley said, raising an eyebrow.

Wade chuckled lightly moving from the corner he took residence in, not wanting to get in the way of Zoe having time with her father. He wasn't hiding, more like staying out of the way. Finding the topic of conversation entertaining. It was the first time he was ever introduced as a boyfriend to his girlfriend's father.

"Not hiding," he smirked, standing behind the chair Zoe sat in, his hands on the back of it.

"I'm warning you now, she best not be like the rest of them," he warned, cutting straight to the chase.

"DAD!" Zoe gasped, outraged that he would say something like that.

"No, it's okay, Zo," Wade calmed her down, gently rubbing her shoulders. "I deserve that, I don't have the best track record. You ought to know that your daughter is different, and she will be treated as such. The only thing I want from her is what she has already given me, her friendship. I want to date your daughter. To have these moments with her to hold onto, whether or not it works out. I'm willing to put my heart out there," he said, pouring his heart out. He didn't want Harley to put an end to his relationship with Zoe while it was still in blossoming.

"I am trusting you not to hurt my daughter," he said, a hint of a smile on his face. "Sweetie, don't let him pressure you into anything. And be nice to him," he finished with, giving them the blessing they weren't looking for, but needed now that they had it.

"I think I can manage to be nice to him," Zoe smiled, tilting her head up to look at him.

"You think, huh?" Wade asked with a smirk.

"Yes," she answered, nodding her head.

The urge to bend over the chair and kiss her senseless, was there, he would've done so to if they weren't in Harley's hospital room. He didn't feel comfortable enough to kiss her in front of her father, not when he didn't know how she felt about it.

"Why don't you two get out of here. Enjoy your night," Harley suggested, putting a stop to Zoe's protest. "I'm about ready to doze off; I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh alright," Zoe sighed not wanting to leave his side. "We should let Brick know," she commented.

"Would you mind sending him back?" Harley asked.

"What happened to you being tired?" Zoe questioned.

"We will do that, won't we Zoe?" Wade asked, rubbing her shoulder.

"Yes, we will. I will warn him not to stay long," she said, hugging her father, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Love you," she whispered.

"I love you, sweetie," Harley replied, a smile firmly in place. "Remember what I said," he warned Wade once more.

"Won't forget it," he replied, holding the door open for Zoe.


	14. Chapter 14

"Where are we going?" Zoe asked, following Wade, holding his hand as he pulled her along into the mall.

A week went by from the moment her father suffered a heart attack, and he was now at home resting in his own bed, taking his life easy, no one letting him do more than he should be. A week of dating her boyfriend without actually going out on a real date with him.

"We are at the mall, and you have to question me on what we are doing?" He asked with a laugh. "Don't all girls love the mall?"

"Uh, no," she told him. "Even though I do," she tagged on.

"Thought so," he laughed, tugging her under his arm.

"What are you up to?" She giggled, letting him lead her to his private destination in mind. "Are we, I don't know a bit old for build a bear?" She asked, suppressing a smile.

"We will forever be a kid at heart," he smirked, adding a wink. "Not to mention you will have a reminder of me and of your time in Bluebell," he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You are pretty sweet," she said, pressing a tender kiss to his cheek. The blush that covered his cheeks, she would keep just how adorable that is to herself.

"Come on," he said, tugging her with him.

"Wait!" She said, putting a halt to his movement forward. He raised an eyebrow, giving his girlfriend a questioning look. "We go our separate ways; you make one for me, and I make one for you," she told him.

"Zo, I don't know," he sighed. He was too old for a teddy bear and to hold onto one now; it seemed a little ridiculous, not to mention the teasing he would get for it.

"I see," she said, pulling her hand free to cross her arms over her chest. "You're too old but I am not? Maybe I don't want a stupid bear," she spat at him, turning to storm off.

"Zoe," he sighed, reaching out to stop her. "I didn't… Okay we can do it that way," he caved. He was giving her a reminder and this way she was doing the same thing for him.

"Thank you," she beamed, heading into the store.

"Crazy woman," he muttered under his breath, a smile on his face, as he checked out the store waiting for Zoe to pick out the animal friend for him.

Picking out the animal, to placing the plastic heart inside to filling the animal they picked out to finding the right accessories, to paying for them, they met back up outside the store, new friends in their home of a box.

"Let's grab lunch then we can trade," he said, holding his box up for Zoe.

"Chinese food?" She asked, slipping under his arm sans box.

"Anything for you," he chuckled, kissing the crown of her head, walking towards the direction of the food court.

With their food, and sitting at a table, they switched boxes before digging into their food.

"I don't have anything to be worried about do I?" She asked, carefully opening the box.

"No, do I? You didn't make me a girly one did you?" He teased, watching her open the box to pull out the bear he made her.

"She's cute," she smiled, holding the pink teddy bear. She wore a yellow dress, dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, yellow shoes adorned her feet. The crown that sat perfectly atop her head. "It even lights up," she giggled, shaking her head. "Thank you."

"No need for thanks, Zoe. I am happy to see you like it," he said, moving the box his sat in, closer to open it up. He laughed, seeing what she picked for him. "Chewbacca." Chewy held a red lightsaber and a boba fett blaster.

"I wasn't sure which weapon you wanted more, so I got both, that way you can change them out as you see fit," she explained.

"I like it," he told her, placing Chewy back in the box, as not to get any food on it. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied. "Not girly at all," she told him, placing her princess bear back in the box.

He laughed, digging into his food. As much as he was against Zoe making him a stuffed bear, the idea of having it now, it made him smile, to have such a reminder of her when she went back to her life in the city. She put a lot of thought into picking out Chewy for him and as ridiculously as it sounded, he would be able to cherish it or burn it if things between them came to halt, and they couldn't even remain friends.

Shaking those thoughts from his head, he watched his girlfriend play with her food, nervously biting at her bottom lip. Furrowing his brow, he placed his fork down, because there was no way he was going to eat noodles with chopsticks.

"Something bugging you, baby?" He asked, reaching out for her hand that rested on the table.

"How did you know?" She asked, avoiding his question.

"You do this cute thing with your lip." The smirk he wore, faded into a soft smile, his thumb grazing over her knuckles. "You can tell me anything, even if that anything has to do with me."

"I know. This has nothing to do with you. Not in a direct way," she told him, using her free hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, not being clear to him with what was on her mind.

"Take a deep breath," he instructed her to do. Nodding she did as told, taking a few deep breaths. "Better?"

"Yeah," she answered softly. "I worry," she replied after few silent moments between them. He wanted to ask what she was worried about, he wasn't left waiting long before she told him what was worrying her. "I worry that I will miss out getting to know him more; I have to leave in a few weeks; I can't put it off much longer than that, and I am afraid I am going to lose him, and I won't be here," she explained to him.

"A reasonable thing to worry about. I can't say, one way or another; however, I can tell you that you need to have this discussion with your dad and your mom, tell them how you feel about the situation, and maybe you can work out a deal to stay here while you finish high school," he replied back. There is nothing more he could want than for her to stay in town after the summer was over with.

"And I will talk to them; this isn't something you can forget about," she told him. "Thinking about that, made me realize how much I am going to miss this," she told him motioning between herself and Wade. "Long distance is going to be hard, and I will go through with it because I don't want this thing to end, but again I am scared that we won't work out, and we won't even be friends. And that alone frightens me because you, Wade, have become a huge part in my life," she voiced what she felt.

"We won't let that happen. I'm scared as well. We both want this; that is all I need to know. Because of that fact, we will make it through this, and we will figure it all out as we go. I promise you that, Zoe. Worrying about this stuff is natural."

"I guess," she sighed. "I will fight for this, Wade. For us," she assured him.

"As will I, Zoe. I'll never stop fighting for us," he promised her.

"Good," she remarked, going back to get food, refusing to let his hand go.

After their talk over lunch, they were feeling lighter than before, enjoying their time goofing off around the mall, making the other one laugh.

Exiting the mall the sun gave away to dark clouds, a storm moving in. What other stops, Wade planned on taking, were put on hold, wanting to get home before the storm hit.

"Zo, I'm sorry to end our date short," he told her parking in front of her house.

"You can make it up to me another day," she replied, a smile in place.

"A second date, I'll take it," he smirked, playing with a stand of her hair. "How's Wednesday night?"

"I can squeeze you in," she teased, leaning forward, brushing her lips against his.

"Good," he remarked, pulling her in for a deeper kiss.

"I should go," she whispered against his lips.

"Nah, you're fine," he said, ghosting his lips across hers.

"I can't," she said, pulling away. "Thank you for the bear," she told him, picking the box that contained her pink bear up.

"You're welcome," he replied with a smile. "Don't forget to talk with your dad," he reminded her.

"I won't," she replied, kissing him quickly. "Drive safe," she said referring to the rain that started to pelt the vehicle.

"I will and I will even call you when I make it home," he told her, joking about the calling her part.

"You best call," she warned, slipping from the vehicle, making a mad dash to the front door of her house. With one final look back at him, she slipped inside shutting the door.

"It must really be coming down out there. You should head upstairs and dry off, put dry clothes on before you catch something."

That was not a voice she expected to ever meet her while at her father's house. Turning around with a smile on her face, she asked one simple question.

"What are you doing here, Mom?"


	15. Chapter 15

**The plan had been to end this story on chapter 15, but as you can see that didn't happen. I do have a rough estimate on how many chapters are left and what each one will contain. 4 chapters plus the epilogue. I'm aiming to have them done by next Friday.**

 **Also I didn't not plan for this chapter to end the way it did. It came out and felt natural and I didn't dare try to change it. All will be fixed soon enough.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"I called to check up on you, learned Harley had a heart attack, decided to come offer my services, because I also miss my daughter, is it a crime to come help out and spend time with my daughter?" Candice asked, flustered with her daughter.

"No," Zoe told her, feeling bad she jumped to the wrong conclusion. "I'm going to go change into dry clothes. We can talk after," she said, moving to go upstairs. "Where is dad?" She ignored the grimace from her mom. She wanted to call Harley her father, and she wouldn't stop because it made her mom uncomfortable.

"His office," Candice told her.

Nodding she headed upstairs. She quickly changed into dry clothes, a pair of sweat pants and a green tank top, pulling Wade's New Orleans Saints hoodie on. Once dressed, she grabbed the box, that was sodden, pulling out her pink bear, finding it was dry. Placing it among her pillows, she gathered her damp clothes to toss in the wash. With that done, she went looking for her mom, not seeing her anywhere in the house, she went to the study, which her dad turned into the home office.

"One would think your bed was more comfortable than the small couch you are on," Zoe commented, sitting in the office chair.

"This couch isn't that bad, sweetie," Harley laughed. "How was your date with Wade?"

"Cut short with the rain, but otherwise, it was pretty perfect as first dates go," she smiled, telling her dad certain details about her date. It didn't seem necessary to tell him about the kisses shared. Some things a father didn't need to know about.

"Wade with a stuffed animal, now that is a sight," he remarked, shocked to learn that his daughter talked him into getting one. "It sounds very lovely, sweetie."

"It was," she smiled, chewing her bottom lip. Her thoughts now back onto what she discussed with Wade.

"What's on your mind?" He questioned, sitting up, motioning for her to join him on the couch.

"I can't get away with anything can I?" She questioned sitting next to her dad, curling up to his side. "This couch isn't half bad," she commented.

"Told ya," he smiled, hugging her close. "Wade?"

"He knows when something is on my mind, like you," she told him. "But no, nothing to do with him. I don't want to go home, and miss out on more of being a part of your life. Being here, feels more like home than I have ever felt in years," she told him.

"I like having you here, and it does feel more like a home now that you have entered my life, Zoe. We will sit down with your mom now that she is here, and we will come up with the best solution that fits for all of us," he assured her.

"Did you know she was coming?" Zoe asked.

"No, but that mother of yours, has always been great at taking me off my feet," he commented with a fond smile. "The moment I saw her; I knew I was in love with her."

"Really?" She asked surprised. "I thought it was a fling," she said, with a shrug.

"That is what it will be called, but I love your mom, Zoe. That love has not gone away over the years."

"Maybe you can convince her that staying here is in her best interest," Zoe suggested, biting her lip.

"Best for whom?" Harley asked with a knowing smile.

"All of us. I know we won't be the family we should've been, but it would be nice," she commented. "We were both robbed of those memories, and I was given them with someone else, and he will remain a huge part of who I am, but it is not the same, and I don't want to be robbed of any more moments because I can't stay here with you," she said, speaking freely.

"That it would, Zoe," he said, kissing her head. The moments he missed out on, he would never get back, it was the moments that were to come that mattered the most to him. Those were moments he could control and fight for, for them, for his daughter. She deserved to have what she wanted, and if she truly wanted to stay here at the end of the summer than he would see to it that it happened.

"Where did mom go?" Zoe questioned. "I couldn't find her after drying off."

"She needed something or another for dinner tonight," Harley told her. "Before we take this to your mom, I need to know that you are serious about this and whatever may happen in the future you won't run away, using your home in New York as your scapegoat."

"I get you worry, but you must know that I won't run away from here. I have no intentions of running from the one place that feels like a real home. I want this more than I have ever wanted anything in my life," she promised him. It did hurt that he had the decency to say such a thing. It hurt knowing he thought so little of her. That he thought she would run away from him.

"I want you to be sure, Zoe. I will always want you here; the door will always be open for you. You are my daughter and there isn't a thing I wouldn't do for you. I want you to really think this through and decide for you of it is the right choice. Don't factor in Wade or myself. Because at the end of the day, we will be here, and we will make things work out." He wanted her there with him, but this wasn't his choice to make. This was something Zoe needed to think about herself, to figure out what is best for her.

"I will think about it. Though, dad, I am pretty confident that my answer will remain the same. This house has been more of a home to me than what should be my home in New York ever did. I know I will get the chance to really get to know you wherever I may call home, the matter of the fact is that I don't want to be elsewhere in getting to know you. I was robbed of the first 16 years; I won't let the next 16 years be robbed from us. We don't deserve that, we didn't do anything wrong, and we are the ones being punished for it," she explained, letting what came to mind out, wanting her father to understand her more.

"And I promise you as your father, I won't let that happen. You are now stuck having me as your father," he smiled, hugging her close once more.

"I do believe I can manage that," she smiled.

Before Harley could reply, Candice stepped into the room finding it was the best moment to do so, informing them dinner was ready. She remained quiet while they ate. Zoe giving her mom a funny look, often wanting to ask her mom what was wrong but stopped from doing so.

Candice doesn't take pride in standing in the hall out of view listening in to what her daughter and the man she once loved talked about. It had been a hard enough choice she had to make all those years ago. She felt guilty for keeping a family apart, regretted the choice she made on more than one occasion. She did what she thought was best.

Turns out it was wrong, all wrong. She hurt her daughter worse than she could imagine. Ruined her own marriage because of the lie she told. Not to mention hurting Harley in the process worse than any of them, she gave him false hope, took his daughter away from him. She wanted to fix it all, wanted to make her daughter happy again. She didn't know how she could do that, but now, she might have the answers they needed to hear.

"Can I be excused?" Zoe asked, having finished her food minutes prior, waiting to see if either one of her parents were going to say something. When it came apparent to her that no one was saying anything, it was best to make her exit.

"Please rinse your plate, first," Harley said.

With a smile, she got up, making quick works of rinsing her plate off, placing it in the sink and going straight to her room. She jumped, covering her mouth as not to alert her parents of her scream, seeing who was sitting on her bed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in a harsh whisper, shutting her bedroom door.

"You didn't answer, when I called all of five times. I had to make sure you were okay," he shrugged, holding his hand out for her. "I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized.

"Sorry," she told him, slipping her hand in his, letting him pull her down on the bed, tossing her legs over his lap. "I got caught up in talking with my dad."

"Did you get the answers you were looking for?" Wade asked, rubbing her calf.

"We have to talk with my mom. She is going to be the hardest one to sell on this. He thinks that when things get tough here I am going to run back to New York," she told him, dropping her head to his shoulder.

"I know that hurt you, but honestly I feel the same way. That if things go in any way you don't want them to be, you can go back to your old life, and forget all about us here in Bluebell. None of us have that option; we can't run when things get tough, but you do," he told her feeling her tense up.

"So it's about trust, and you along with my father don't trust me; that's just great," she told him, removing herself from him. "I think it will be best if you go home, Wade," she told him.

"I trust you, Zoe. That isn't what I meant," he pleaded with her.

"Then what do you mean?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. When he didn't say anything, that was all the sign she needed. "You can go now. I am going to use the bathroom and when I get back, I expect you to be gone," she told him, stalking out of her room.

Quickly washing her face, not that it helped any, she made her way back to her room, the tears slowly falling seeing that he left like she asked. It hurt hearing your dad thought you would run away; it hurt just as bad when you learned your boyfriend felt the same. She trusted them both, yet it seemed they were finding it hard to trust her. Maybe it would be better if she headed home to New York instead of staying with her dad.


	16. Chapter 16

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Candice asked, having taken Zoe out for a little mother/daughter bonding. They were currently getting their nails done.

"I'm fine," she replied, watching the lady doing her nails paint them a dark-green color.

"Zoe, I can clearly see something is bothering you. I am your mother, and I do pay attention when you think I don't," she told her daughter, holding back the annoyance she felt towards her daughter. She was hoping that Zoe would talk to her about what she was feeling, about wanting to stay in Bluebell. Yet she was getting nothing and learning at the same time that she couldn't make her daughter talk to her any more.

"It's dad and Wade," she sighed, looking to her mother. Hearing Wade's name confused her greatly. When she came home the night prior, she was happy, and while she was talking to Harley, nothing seemed off other than wanting to stay when summer ended.

"I didn't know anything happened with Wade. You looked happy when he dropped you off yesterday."

"I was happy at that point," Zoe responded. "We talked last night," she said, watching the nail brush glide over her nails once more. "I want to stay here, at least I did yesterday until both Dad, and Wade decided they can't trust me, thinking at the first sign of trouble I will run off home to New York. How fair is that?" She asked, caving in and telling her mom.

"Oh sweetie," Candice sighed. "I am sure that is not the case," she assured her daughter, try to at least.

"What else could it mean. It's not like there is anything I would be running away from."

"What about if you and Wade happen to break up?" Candice asked.

"I wouldn't run away because we couldn't make a relationship work out, that is just ludicrous," she laughed out, shaking her head. "If they think that, then they don't trust me," she concluded. If they both thought, something that tribal would send her back they didn't know her or trust her enough. She could live in the same town as an ex. After all it is what most of all exes do. She was not that juvenile.

"What if he cheated on you?" Candice questioned.

"He wouldn't do that," Zoe huffed out, getting annoyed with her mom for even suggesting it.

"No, he may not cheat on you, Zoe. I was using it as a hypothetical question," Candice clarified.

"If and that is a big if, he did cheat I wouldn't run away. I know first-hand how running away can hurt those closest to you," she stated.

"That was unnecessary and I wasn't running from anything. I did what I thought was the right choice."

"I know," Zoe said. "It's hard knowing I missed out on a relationship with my father when the dad, I did have no longer wanted me, now I know why," she shrugged, playing the hurt feelings off.

"I'm sorry about that," Candice told her daughter. Zoe gave her a weak smile. "About staying here at the end of the summer," she started to say.

"Until I can clear the air with Dad and Wade, I don't want to think about what will happen when August ends," she told her mom.

"Okay," Candice replied, letting her daughter have the time to sort through her own mind. What she had to say could wait and what she decided on wouldn't change while her daughter talked things out with her father and boyfriend.

* * *

"I can't actually remember a time where we spent the whole day together," Zoe commented, over lunch.

"It's been some time, and that is on me."

Zoe kept her mouth shut, there were so many ways to respond to that and none of them were good retorts. Whatever the past held; it could be fixed, and she could amend her relationship with her mom, if that is something, her mother stuck to after this was said and done.

"Is there any part of you that loves dad to this day?" Zoe questioned, remembering what her dad said the night prior. She wouldn't go about playing matchmaker for her parents. That is the one thing she can't get in the middle of, but finding out if her mom feels the same as her dad does, well there is nothing wrong in being curious.

"Where is this coming from, Zoe?" Candice acquired.

Zoe shrugged, "since Ethan left, I haven't seen you in a serious relationship. Just wondering if that is because you still love Ethan, or because you still have feelings for my dad," she explained.

"The timing was never right after Ethan left. To answer your question the love I had for your father, it's still there. The thing is we are two very different people now, and I don't know if we would work out if we did try. But you have to understand that we might not even try, I don't know if that is something I want," Candice explained to her daughter, not wanting her to get her hopes up.

"I know and I am not getting my hopes up. Just curious is all," Zoe smiled, digging back into her food.

"How serious is your relationship with Wade?" She would have liked for Zoe to tell her these things without being prompt to do so. Her relationship with Zoe was rocky because she busied herself with work instead of being there. And it did feel like she was losing her daughter to Harley, and she was jealous of the relationship they shared.

"Not yet, but it does have the potential if we can get over this whole trust issue," she shared. "We've been on one date in the week we have been dating. He challenges me. Once you get past the layers you get to see him, the true him."

"You will get it sort out, sweetie," Candice comforted her.

"I hope so. I am not ready to give him up," she retorted, eager to take off and make amends with Wade. Not that she could do that, even though she really wanted to.

"Why don't we go home, and you can invite him over for dinner," Candice suggested.

"Actually can we pass? I was supposed to have dinner with Wade and his dad when dad suffered his heart attack. I think I am going to make that up to him," she said.

"Okay, I will drop you off," Candice told her. "Do you need to call him?"

"No, I don't want him to skip out. I will take the risk of him not being there over him avoiding me. It will hurt less that way," she stated, getting up.

The drive from Fairhope to Bluebell was done so in silence. Zoe too occupied with what she could say to Wade and how upset he was going to be for her to show up unannounced. She could only hope that things went smoothly, and he was surprised and willing to forgive her, and talk about the things that we're bothering him about her using New York as a scapegoat and whatever else happened to be on his mind.

"Call if you are going to be late," Candice told her, not exactly sure of the curfew Harley set for her.

"Will do," Zoe replied, slipping from the car. "Thanks for today, it was fun," she smiled.

"It was; we will do it again before I leave," Candice promised. Zoe smiled liking the sound of the that, shutting the car door and walking to the front door of Wade's home.

"Zoe, what a surprise," Earl said in greeting opening the door before Zoe was up the steps.

"Hey, Earl. I am making good on my rain check for dinner," she smiled. "That is okay, right?" She questioned, walking inside.

"More than fine. He's in his room; he is not in the best of moods," Earl warned.

"Still?" She questioned.

"Stubborn, that one," Earl chuckled. "He does have company, but you are fine to go up there," he told her.

"You sure? I can wait a day or two," she said, becoming hesitant on going up there. The last thing she wanted to do was barge in on him. Unless said company was a girl, then she had a right to know what was going on, because she had the right to know if her boyfriend was cheating on her or not.

"He will like the interruption," Earl stated, heading off to the kitchen.

With a shrug, she headed upstairs, slowly walking to his room, seeing if she could hear what was going on in her boyfriend's room. She should feel horrible for even thinking about spying on him, but she didn't. Deep down, she knew that he would never cheat on her, but the second her mom said it the thought swirled around in her head making her second guess Wade.

"Jesse." Hearing that name made her freeze right outside his bedroom. Tears were ready to fight to come out, hearing her boyfriend with another girl.

"Drop it, Wade." That voice, the deep rough voice that responded took her by surprise. She felt like a fool too, but for now that would remain her little secret.

She had two options; she could flee and wait downstairs for Wade or make her presence known ruining the moment between brothers. If her memory served her right than the Jesse in question was indeed his older brother.

"Zoe." Hearing the surprise in Wade's voice, she smiled nervously. Her options were cut short. Getting caught wasn't an option she wanted to entertain. "What are you doing here?"

"To talk and if things went right, to take your dad up on that offer for dinner. But maybe another time would be better," she suggested, twisting her hands in front of her.

"Now is fine," he assured her. "Come meet my brother." She nodded, following him back into his room.

While picturing Jesse many times wanting to know a bit more about the eldest Kinsella brother, what she got was by far different than what she thought. The pictures she had to go off of did her no help. Instead of the geeky lanky boy, she was met with a killer smile, arms that were filled out with muscle rather nicely; she is pretty certain that there is a six pack hiding under his shirt. His chin was lined with day-old stubble, and his eyes; they were trouble ready to happen.

"The almighty girlfriend, I presume," Jesse said, half his mouth ticking up into a half smile, half smirk.

"You'd be correct. Zoe, it's nice to meet you," she told him, with a smile of her own.

"Jesse, it's good to meet you as well. Now I know my brother wasn't telling tall tales about being smitten. I didn't think I would live to see the day my little brother got serious with any woman," he teased.

"Your brother is rather picky. Had to fly states away to find the one woman that wouldn't cave to his charms, made him work for it," she smiled at her boyfriend.

"That's for sure. What can I say, being picky worked out for me," he shrugged, sending Zoe a soft smile.

"On that note, I am out," Jesse said, making a quick exit.

"I trust you, Zoe. I trust you with every fiber of my being," he rushed out the second they were alone. "I can admit that I am scared that when one bad thing happens between us or with someone else, and you'll be gone. Or that you come to feel suffocated in such a small town and leave. I am scared that I can't be everything for you, that I won't be enough."

She could tell he had more to say; she wasn't having it, wrapping her arms around his neck, ever so lightly pressing her lips against his.

"There are so many things I can't promise you, but what I can promise you is that I won't run away when things get bad. I can promise you that after a fight, I will be here waiting for you, that I'll brave the storm out to fix things between us. I don't know what the future has in store, what I do know is that right now you are all I need," she assured him. "I am afraid too," she confessed, looking down.

"Of what?" He asked, tipping her head up, his eyes boring into hers.

"That I will be too much for you. That I am not country enough for you and too much city girl. That you will realize you put all this effort into the wrong girl," she shrugged.

"That is nonsense," he stated, kissing her nose. "I like you, just the way you are, Zoe Hart," he whispered, pushing her hair behind her ears

"I like you the way you are, Wade Kinsella," she whispered against his lips.

"Quit mackin' on your girl and get down here the both of ya, dinner's ready," Jesse yelled, laughter evident in his voice.


	17. Chapter 17

Where there should have been an awkwardness to dinner, there was none. Chatter and laughs filled her ears. Many stories of Wade as a kid, that had him blushing and denying most everything. So far, into dinner she was rather enjoying herself. Whatever tension laid between brothers when she first showed up, seemed to vanish entirely.

"Penny for your thoughts," Wade whispered, only for Zoe to hear. She shook her head, what she was thinking of she didn't want to get into while at the dinner table.

"Later, I promise," she told him, turning her attention back to Jesse, who happened to be in the middle of a story about a daring rescue of a dolphin. "Is that what you do? Go where the animals take you?" She questioned once he was done and learning the dolphin was fine and back at home in the ocean.

"It is," he replied. "The thrill of being on the road, going from coast to coast, is too much for me to pass up," he smiled, enjoying that he got to travel across the great country of theirs.

"Don't you grow tired of being on the road and not having a real home?" She poised. As fun as being a traveler sounded, she would miss being home way too much. The comfort of her own bed, having a home-cooked meal, waking up in the same place. Boring as it seemed, it was everything she wanted.

"Sure, I do. I can only take so much take out or diner food; hotels are not what they are cracked up to be. When I feel like giving up, I think about the animals that need my help, and I keep moving forward. They are why I do what I do," he shrugged.

"That's very admirable of you," she smiled. "I couldn't do that. I need to be in one place," she shrugged.

"You're going to be a doctor right?" Jesse asked.

"Dude, she will be a doctor, no question about that," Wade piped in. Zoe smiled at him.

"He's right, being a doctor has been my dream since I was a little girl. Now though I'm not certain on what kind of doctor, I want to be. Before I learned about my dad, I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my… Ethan and be a cardiothoracic surgeon, currently not so much," she explained with a sigh. It felt wrong to follow in one father's footsteps when her biological father was a general practitioner.

"You'll figure it out, Zo," Wade assured her. "You do have two years of high school left before ya need to really figure it out," he added on.

"Can you give my boy that ambition," Earl said.

"Seriously?" Wade sighed.

"You're going to be a senior this year, and you have no plans for your future, so yes seriously," Earl responded.

"I know that whatever your son sets his mind on; he'll be amazing at it," Zoe spoke up, calming her boyfriend down. "He does have a little bit of time to figure things out, and if he decides on not going to college, that's up to him; we cannot make him do anything he doesn't think or know that is right for him," she added on, freely speaking her mind.

"She's a keeper," Jesse smarted off.

Wade's response was a gentle squeeze to her hand, under the table. He didn't want to think about the future; he needed to stay focused on the here and now when it came to Zoe. What Jesse stated was the truth, the moment he learned of his growing feelings for her that she is different than any girl he knows, and that she would be a keeper, and he would need to be a better version of him to keep her. Being better was more for him than for her. He wouldn't let anyone change who he is, and like Zoe said earlier, she likes him just the way he is.

"So kids actually make a mud pie and try to eat it?" She asked, grossed out by that fact.

"Most kids do," Earl shrugged. "Kids eating dirt don't hurt 'em any."

"I am not sure about that," she commented, making a mental note to look that fact up. "That is just gross."

"We added rocks for a better texture," Wade laughed. "You've never had a mud pie before?"

"No and it will stay that way," she stated.

"Live a little, Doc," Wade chuckled. "Remember that time we flooded the house in frogs and toads," Wade laughed.

"That was also the night Mom made frog legs for dinner," Jesse said through his laughter. "I have no idea how I let you convince me to help you with catching all those frogs and toads for you to have a frog and toad stand instead of lemonade," he wondered.

"Cause I was going to the swamp with or without ya, and you couldn't let me get to far out of your sight at the time," Wade shrugged.

"Took you boys a week to get the house free of frogs and toads and the smell. You should know that your mom found it amusing once the anger wore off."

Wade smiled enjoying that he was able to openly talk about his mom without his dad running for the first bottle he could find. Sharing the memories of her, let her live on through them.

"She would have liked you, Zoe," Earl said somberly. "Would've been happy her baby boy found such a nice and sweet girl. She wanted a daughter, convinced both pregnancies were girls."

"Explains why Jesse has a girl's name for," Wade laughed. Jesse glared at his brother a smirk coming out. "Don't you even dare," Wade warned, knowing what Jesse had in mind.

"Want to hear a funny and embarrassing story about your boyfriend?" Jesse asked Zoe.

Of course, she wanted to hear it. She wanted to know everything about him. Wanted an insight on who he was as a kid.

"She can hear it the next time you're in town," Wade said, getting up, pulling Zoe with him. "She needs to be getting home, no time for another story," he quickly said, rushing Zoe out the door.

"Nice meeting you, Jesse. Dinner was good, Earl. Thanks for having me over," she called, on her way out the door.

"It was a pleasure Zoe, make sure to join is again anytime," Earl called after them.

"I will keep the story until next time and there will be a next time. Nice meeting you Zoe," Jesse yelled from the front door, laughing as his little brother and his girlfriend took off on foot.

"Is it really that bad?" Zoe questioned when his house was no longer in sight.

"Yes and it is not something I want to relive and have you laugh at me for," he told her. "Now what was so heavy on your mind at dinner?" He asked, needing the topic changed.

"I was just thinking how I would've lived those memories you have if I would've been raised here. That everything would be different. That I would have liked growing up here in Bluebell with you," she told him, biting her lip.

"It would've been different in a good way, huh?" He replied with. He could imagine a life where Zoe grew up being his best friend or hating him only to fall for his charm later in life.

"It makes you think," she shrugged. "With the embarrassing stories that were told in your honor tonight, I have one of my own to share with you," she told him. It didn't feel right to keep it from him. She wanted him to be honest with her then she needed to be honest with him. It needed to go both ways for them to work as a couple.

"What might that be," he teased. Getting to know any part of her past was an okay in his book. He wanted to know everything about her. He didn't want to ever stop learning about her.

"You ought to know that I trust you, and I would never think you would do it," she assured him, tightening her grip on his hand.

"What are you going on about?" He asked her, his own nerves going up.

"I was talking with my mom earlier today, and she asked what I would do if we broke up or if you cheated on me," she told him, slowing her pace.

"I would be crazy to do either of those things, Zo. I have no need to cheat on you. I can wait, and I will take this as slow as you need it to be. And I have no desire to break up with you," he said. He wasn't upset she would think like that, not after someone you love put them there.

"I know you wouldn't," she smiled, turning to look at him. "Though I must confess that when I showed up at your place tonight, and your dad said you had company over that is the first place my mind went and hearing the name Jesse; I didn't connect Jesse being your brother was in town." That is when Wade lost it in laughter, he couldn't hold back. Zoe smacked him, but she too burst out in laughter.

"I would never do that to you, Zoe," he told her, his laughter no more. "You are more than enough for me."

"Is that so?" She asked in a teasing voice.

He growled pulling her flush against him, diving in crashing his lips against hers in a heated kiss. With the streets empty and the only light coming from the street lamps, it was easy to get lost in each other, forgetting where they were.

She walked into her house, her lips swollen, her hair a mess from her boyfriend's fingers and the taste of Wade on her tongue. Wade was no better on his walk home.

"Mom in bed?" Zoe asked, joining her dad in the living room, after she had run her fingers through her hair to fix it the best, she could.

"Yes, she went about twenty minutes ago. I have come to learn I can't sleep until I know you are home safe," he said, flicking the TV off.

"It's Bluebell," she laughed.

"Don't matter. If you're not home, I don't know if you are safe, or if you are okay," he told her. "Dad's worry," he shrugged.

"But you love it," she teased.

"Like you wouldn't believe," he chuckled. Turning serious, he looked at his daughter. "I had a talk with your mother. You ought to know that I do trust you, Zoe. That I know you wouldn't use any excuse to run away."

"They why ask me to think about what I want? Why throw me running off to New York into it?" She asked, wanting the answers only he could give her.

"Because I need you to be certain on what you want. I don't want you to stay here for any other reason than you. I don't want to be the full reason, and I don't want you to use Wade as an excuse to stay because you are afraid of what could happen once you go back home. I don't want you to resent myself or Wade," he explained.

"I wouldn't resent you or Wade for a choice I made. And making the choice to stay here, I did think about what I want. What I want is to be here. This is home to me. I know it sounds silly considering the amount of time I have spent here, but it does. The second I entered your life you gave me nothing but love. I know mom loves me. You show it in different ways. I want this, to be given a choice on what I want instead of someone else doing it for me," she told her dad.

"If this is what you want, I will do everything to give that to you," he assured his daughter.

"It is," she confirmed.


	18. Chapter 18

"Where are we going?" Zoe asked, having already seen the picnic basket in the backseat of the car.

"You will see," he teased. Zoe rolled her eyes, her smile staying in place. "Did you have a chat with your dad? Clear the air and all?" He was curious to know what happened there. With Jesse back in town for a few days, he had been forced into family bonding for the past two days. Things with his dad were getting better each day; he forgot how nice it was to have a father, to be a kid again. Jesse, he was a different problem altogether.

"Yes, everything is good. He is going to talk with my mom and feel her out on me living here. After that we will devise a gameplan." They needed to be prepared to go in and convince her mom to let her stay. She wouldn't like it, but it was what she wanted. And at 16, she should have some kind of say in where she wanted to live. "Things with Jesse didn't seem so bad, how were they really?"

"Tense to say the least. It was really good for a moment to forget about this divide we have and get along. To be the brothers we once were. I think we might be on that path once more, albeit a rocky one. Thanks to a certain girlfriend for dropping by," he smiled, pulling her hand up to place a kiss on it, while they were stopped at a light.

"Bringing families together, it is all in a day's work," she teased. "I am happy that you feel like you are getting your brother back. I only want you as happy as you make me," she blushed.

"Impossible, because you and you alone makes me happy. Everything else is just the icing on top."

"Isn't it cherry on top?" She asked, raising a brow.

"New Yorkers thinking they know everything," he huffed out, his smile giving him away.

"Alabama boys thinking they are mastering drama 101," she teased.

"You haven't seen drama yet," he laughed, pulling into a parking lot. One Zoe recognized right away.

"I should have known you'd bring me back here," she smiled, slipping from the car.

"You do like the place as much as I do. It used to be mine and Jesse's place, turns out, I found a better person to share the place with," he winked, coming around the car, picnic basket in hand.

"You saying I am an upgrade?" She teased, wrapping her hand around his free arm.

"Better looking, a better time, better everything. Yup, a huge upgrade," he said, leading her to the path they needed to take.

She snuggled closer to him, as they walked along the path, relishing in the sounds, nature provided free of charge for them. Back in New York she could never picture herself wanting to be out in the woods, but with Wade next to her, everything about the woods was beautiful, magical if you will. She couldn't imagine a better place to be.

"What are you doing?" She questioned, when he came to stop in the field. "I thought we were going to the spot?"

"No, we can, but I wanted a spot to make ours," he shrugged.

Words failed her. The easiest way to say how she felt was to pour them out in a kiss. How sweet it was of him to do that for her. To give her a spot that wasn't tainted with memories of anyone else. A place just for them to create new happy memories to last a lifetime.

"I have something for you," he smirked, pulling a pie from the basket. "Don't worry there is other food in there as well," he told her.

"What is that?" She asked, taking a look at the chocolate pie, he presented her.

"Mississippi Mud Pie," he told her, amusement dancing in his eyes, watching her face fall.

"Is this a joke?" She questioned, looking from the pie to her boyfriend. Wade shook his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. "I won't eat that," she stated, shaking her head.

"Why? It's not made from real mud," he told her. "Live a little," he teased, using a plastic fork to gather a bite for her.

"Only if you try sweet corn risotto," she bargained with him.

"If that means you are going to cook for me; I'll take you up on that offer," he smiled, moving the fork closer to her mouth.

"Fine," she sighed, opening her mouth for him to feed her. She closed her eyes, when her taste buds exploded with happiness at the flavor, a soft moan escaping.

"Can you not make such tempting noises?" He inquired, placing the fork down.

"I don't know," she smirked, a gleam in her brown orbs, crawling over him, pushing him to lay back on the ground, her hands traveling up his stomach under his shirt.

He wasted no time in getting his hands on her, running over her back under the shirt she wore. His lips seeking hers out.

"You do know we are not doing this out here, right?" Zoe asked him, breaking the kiss, getting some much-needed air.

"I do know that," he replied, his thumb massaging her sides. "You deserve the best, Zo. My promise about not pushing you into this will not be broken, Zoe," he promised once more, pushing hair from her face. "You deserve more than this," he indicated.

Before Zoe, sex meant nothing to him, but with her, it would be special, there was no denying that. With her, it wasn't going to be sex; it was going to be so much more. He didn't want to ruin things with her by having sex before she was ready, or he was. Truthfully he wasn't ready for sex with her; he wanted it to mean something to both of them. Two weeks of dating wasn't enough time for them to jump into the thick of things. He rather enjoyed having a relationship with Zoe that didn't surround around the physical aspect of things. They would get there in time, and he could wait until that moment, because he had a feeling, it would be one of the best nights of his life.

"You sure you don't have an evil twin running around?" She questioned with a teasing grin. The questioning of why must have shown in his eyes along with the confusion wrote all over his face, when she elaborated. "I do help out at the practice; people talk," she shrugged. "I know I am getting the real Wade. I don't doubt that for a second; however, I hear horror stories of who you were before we got together, and I know you told me some. It's hard to picture you as anyone other than who you are with me."

"I did a lot of stupid shit before you, Zoe. Used girls for my own pleasures, did things I am not proud of. I can't change it, but I can change me, and I want to change myself. I want to be better; you make me better. I like being a better person."

"I don't want you to change who you were even if you could. Because those events shaped you into the man, I get now. And you are pretty close to being perfect for me and to me. You Wade Kinsella are the best boyfriend a girl could ask for," she beamed, lightly kissing him.

"You make it easy," he grinned, rolling them over.

After a pretty heavy makeout session, Zoe spent forever laughing as she pulled grass from her hair. Giving her boyfriend a sweet smile when he plucked a wild daisy and stuck it in her hair.

Zoe sat in her boyfriends embrace eating the lunch he packed away far later than intended, with how low the sun sat in the sky, touching the tops of the trees. Leaning against him, Zoe realized this; just sitting in silence wrapped in the warmth of her boyfriends embrace was all she needed for an afternoon of fun.

"I could stay here all night," Zoe sighed in contentment, turning to kiss his left arm.

"So could I," Wade smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Though I am afraid if we try, your dad would murder me and the last thing you need is for your dad to be in prison."

"You don't even care that I would have a dead boyfriend to grieve over?" She asked, looking at him.

"No, because you'd still have your dad," he shrugged. "And as much as it pains me to say this you'd be able to move on from me."

"But I don't want to move on from you," she assured him, running her hand over his jaw. "I may have him, but I would no longer have you, and I would still be in pain over it," she whispered, the thought of losing him hurt her.

"It's a good thing I have no plans on leaving you," he promised, letting himself get lost in her eyes. Marveling at how easy it was to lose himself in her.


	19. Chapter 19

A smile graced Zoe's lips walking into the school. With being away from home for the past two weeks, she missed home more than she ever thought she would. Going back to New York was torture she never knew existed. Being back in the city as fun as it was to back there, it wasn't the same. Now it was just an overcrowded city with far too much noise at all times of the day or night. Spending fourteen days away from her boyfriend that was tough, deep down, it was showing her what would happen when she did leave for college in a couple of years, she didn't like feeling so helpless without him there. Her dad. She missed him greatly. Having only known him a short period of time, he created quite the impressive spot in her heart for him.

Her nerves started to grow a bit more when she stood outside of the classroom that was her first period, class already in session, as she had to finalize a few things in the office before hand.

She knew with every fiber in her that Wade would be elated to see her; she was starting to second herself with the little joke she pulled on him. He didn't know she would be coming back to live with her dad.

* * *

 _"What do you mean, that you have to go back to New York tomorrow?" He asked, sitting on her bed. Her parents having gone out._

 _"It means just that Wade. I tried to argue that summer isn't over yet, but she wouldn't have it. Even my dad agreed, that it would be fine, and we worked something else out," she told him, letting her tears go free. The aspect of missing her boyfriend too much for her to handle._

 _"This sucks; I had a few things planned. I wanted to show you more of my world, to just be with you," he sighed. Hearing this information had been the last piece of news he was expecting when Zoe asked him over._

 _"I know," she said, moving into his embrace, her eyes closing to the gentle thump of his heart. "We have next summer and hopefully winter break," she voiced._

 _"Hopefully." Seeing him so sad and hurt over her sudden departure made her want to cave and tell him the truth. Tell him she was going back for two weeks, and then she would be back here to live. Surprising him, that outweighed everything else, and instead she laid wrapped up in him._

 _An hour later when her parents returned home, that is how they found them, laying on the couch asleep tangled up in each other._

* * *

With the door to the classroom locked, she was left to knock on the door, putting a halt on that morning's lesson. She smiled at the teacher, a middle-aged woman, handing her the note. She quickly looked it over nodding her head, motioning for Zoe to follow her into the class.

"Class some of you may already know her, but for those of that don't, please welcome Zoe Hart," the teacher instructed, handing her a text book for U.S. history. "Please take a seat."

Not being told twice she quickly moved through the classroom, finding the empty seat she wanted, the one that was next to her god smacked boyfriend. Having this class with him was accidental but very pleasant.

"What are you doing here?" Wade asked in a whisper, leaning over to Zoe's desk, once the teacher went back to talking.

"I live here now," she smiled at him, pulling out her notebook to take notes. "I will explain after class," she told him, taking the notes being written on the whiteboard.

Wade nodded a smile gracing his lips turning his sour mood into a much better one now that his girlfriend was back where she belonged. The past two weeks were hell without her there. Talking to her on the phone was very different than being with her in person.

With pages of notes and numerous pages that needed to be read with questions that followed that needed to be answered for tomorrow's class, they walked out of the classroom, Wade lacing his hand with hers.

"Explain," he nearly demanded, waking with her to her locker, which was only a few from his.

"When I left for the two weeks I knew I would be back to live here. I had to pack up my things and whatnot," she explained to him. "Surprise." She started to worry that she upset him, seeing the look of happiness slip from his face.

"For two weeks, you let me believe that you wouldn't be back. Let me believe that I wouldn't see you again for months. You never once thought to tell me the truth? Why?" He asked lowly, not wanting his business with Zoe to spread like wildfire around the school.

"I wanted to surprise you," she told him softly, biting her lip. "I didn't think you would get this mad." Turning back to her locker, she got what she would need for her next class, placing her History textbook and notebook in her backpack as not to forget them in her locker.

"Exactly, you didn't think," he hissed under his breath.

She sighed shutting her locker, seeing where her next class was at. "Sorry," she muttered going to walk off.

"Zoe, wait," he said, taking her schedule. "Seems as if we have all the same classes together," he told her. He wasn't that big of an ass to leave her alone. She was still his girlfriend, and he would make sure that she settled into the school like a good boyfriend would. Not to mention he needed to keep the rest of the school's male population away from his girl.

Walking with her boyfriend might have been better if he wasn't so mad at her. He still kept his hand on her back. She enjoyed the sensation he brought to her skin with a simple touch. Being with him was one of the things she was looking forward to. Now that they were in the middle of a fight, it wasn't the same happy feelings she associated him with. It was awkward between them as they walked to class and sat next to each other. They would make up, and she didn't want to be on the opposite side of the room than he was on.

Their day went on like that, neither one trying to make conversation with the other. It wasn't until lunch when they found a spot alone outside with their lunch that they started to talk and work things out.

"I am truly sorry, that I made you believe that I wasn't going to be back here until December. I wanted to tell you, but yet again I wanted to surprise you because you are always surprising me," she confessed.

"It was a great a surprise, one I really loved and took me by surprise. I just wish you would have told me beforehand, so I don't have to prepare myself for a long-distance relationship."

"I am sorry, anything I can do to make it up to you?" She asked giving him a pout.

"You can go out with me this weekend," he smirked, tugging her to move to sit next to him.

"I think I can manage that," she smiled, kissing his cheek.

"Good," he smiled, lightly pressing his lips against hers, not wanting to get carried away at school. "How did your mom take the news?" He asked, suddenly curious on how Candice took the news.

* * *

 _"Sweetie, is this what you really want? To live here with your dad?" Candice asked, sitting on Zoe's bed._

 _"More than anything. Nothing against the home you built for me in New York. I missed out on so much, and I wanted to be given the chance to learn more about my dad, so I can understand who I am," she explained, hoping her mom understood where she was coming from._

 _"I see," Candice replied, getting up. "Then we will have to go home and pack things away and get the apartment cleaned out, while I see if we can get out of the lease."_

 _"What? You mean you are moving to Bluebell?" Zoe asked with a surprised smile on her face._

 _"Fairhope to be more accurate. Small-town living isn't for me, but I want to be close to you, Zoe. And if you want to live with your dad, I can support that, but I will be nearby when you need me."_

 _"I like that," Zoe smiled, hugging her mom._

* * *

"I can't run away to New York. The furthest I could run is Fairhope, and you would have no trouble coming after me," she smiled at him.

"And I will chase after you, always," he told her, kissing her forehead.


	20. Chapter 20

**Here is the last chapter for this one. And while writing it, I had a few ideas for a few other chapters that would take place between this one and the previous chapter, and if I get inspired to write them I will do just that, but for some reason this story took me a while to warm up to and really get into. I do hope you all have liked it. Thank you to those that have followed along with this story. Enjoy.**

* * *

"What do you got there, princess?" Wade asked, watching his sleepy little girl walk out of her room, dragging a stuffed animal with her.

"Hewy," she said holding the stuffed Chewy up, for him to see. Wade smiled, pulling his daughter up on his lap.

"Where did you find him at?" Wade asked, looking at the stuffed Chewy Zoe made for him 17 years ago now.

"Mommy," the little girl replied, snuggling into her daddy. "Guppies, pwease," she pouted, looking up at him with her dark-brown eyes, her lip sticking out.

"Anything for you, my girl," he responded, kissing her head, changing the channel he was watching to put on the cartoon she asked for.

Being a family was more than he could have ever dreamt up. He loved being a father, loved being a husband. Having a family of his own brought him so much joy. Seeing his daughter take to his Chewbaca it was magical. It gave him so much hope when Zoe was away at college, having a hard time in making their relationship work. They managed barely, and when she moved back to take over her father's half of the practice, it made them stronger than they had ever been before. Every time he felt Zoe ready to run, he was there putting a stop to it, ready to chase after her.

Two years after she moved home, they got married, their little girl making her appearance six months later. Now said little girl was two years old, gearing up for a third birthday in half a year. Lazy weekday mornings with his daughter were the best days.

"When did you find this?" Wade asked, holding the stuffed Chewy up once his wife walked through the door.

Zoe smiled, kissing her daughter's head, sharing a kiss with her husband, sitting next to him.

"Last night, she wanted you; she wouldn't stop crying for nothing. This little guy was in a box in the closet; she didn't want the little stuffed princess bear. This was the one to calm her down enough for her to drift off to sleep," she told him of the night she had with their daughter while he was working the late shift.

"Princess Chloe does take after her father," he smiled, pulling said little girl closer to kiss the top of her head.

"Sometimes too much," Zoe joked.

"If you want to have one be like you, then I suggest we have another one," he smirked at her.

"Turns out we will be having another one," she told him.

"What?" Wade asked, losing his voice and his train of thought.

"We have been trying for the past year to have another baby and as hard as it was, this is what we decided on, to let it happen, and if it didn't happen we would be okay with that. It turns out, we are having another little one. I took the test at work, and the results rushed. I want Chloe to have a sibling like you had Jesse," she rambled on.

"I am not dumbfounded because I am mad, I am speechless because this makes me happy, Zoe. We've been trying for so long and now that it's happened; it's beyond great," he assured her.

Smiling she curled up to her husband, hating the nights, he wasn't home before bedtime. It was rather impossible to sleep without him next to her. Tossing and turning was never a fun way to spend her night.

After an afternoon playing with their daughter, they headed out to see grandpa and grandma. Harley and Candice made a try at a real relationship now that she wasn't engaged or even married to Ethan like she had been on the cruise where they first met. Their relationship turned out to work this time as they took off on a cruise one day into the year-long relationship and got engaged while at sea. A year later saw them married in a small ceremony. That was over ten years ago now. Zoe was happy that her parents were happy and in love.

Earl sober as he may be, didn't want to be with anyone else, he went on dates at first, but soon decided that his late wife still held his heart. It was something he couldn't move on from. His sons couldn't be disappointed in him as for their father was genuinely happy with the grand kids he was given and the two very lovely daughters he got.

As for Jesse, turns out traveling around the country wasn't everything it was cracked up to be and with a couple more years of him being on the road, he was ready to return home and have a family of his own, meeting his wife on the road doing what he did. Once they bonded over that, they found they had so many things in common, yet not nearly enough to make their relationship dull.

As for Wade and Jesse, they may never be the same as, they were growing up. They had made amends and could joke around and be brothers and be friends once again.

"It looks as if we are the last to show up," Wade joked, handing his squirming daughter over to her uncle who she was trying to get to. Every Wednesday night they got together to have a family night, complete with games and stories of what happened during the week.

"That isn't new," Earl laughed.

"Your dad makes a point; we are always the last ones here," Zoe laughed, hugging her parents.

"I would like to see them wrangle a 2 and a half year old," he quipped out.

"Try a five-year-old that refuses to leave the house without every single toy he owns," Jesse retorted, as his little mini, me ran right into Wade's legs showing his uncle what he had made at school that day.

"Look at that picture," Wade beamed. "Is that Daddy getting taken by aliens?" He asked.

Derrick shook his head. "That's the Scooby gang," he replied in a duh tone.

Wade laughed. Of course, it was Scooby doo and the gang; his nephew loved the cartoon so much that his whole room was done with Scooby in mind.

"Should've known that, bubby. Do they need your Daddy's help with a case?"

"No," he said, running off to play once more.

"Did you make him feel bad about not adding you into the picture or something?" Wade teased.

"You can be such a jerk," Jesse laughed shoving him.

"Boys behave yourselves," Earl smirked, never growing tired of getting after his sons.

Before dinner was served and games were to be played, Jesse sought Zoe out, who was sitting outside watching her daughter on the swing set Harley had got for her a few months ago. Wade chasing her around, laughter coming from them both.

"I never did tell you that story about your husband," he remarked, sitting in the chair next to her.

"The one where he rushed me out of the house?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"That would be the one," he nodded. "Do you want to know it? Or has he told you already?"

"He hasn't told me, I think he's forgotten about it," she shrugged. "Of course I want to know."

"He was 8 at the time and he convinced me that he was old enough to watch a horror movie. Out pops Freddy and he screamed like a girl, running to his room not emerging until morning," Jesse laughed, Zoe holding her laughter in. "Anyway, he was so scared that he kept his light on for a month at night, and that night, he… Well, he learned his lesson, took him years to finally watch a horror movie again."

"What are you two talking about?" Wade asked, sending his daughter in to have Grandpa help wash her up for dinner.

"Jesse was telling me the story of how you wet the bed after watching Freddy," Zoe remarked, getting up.

"I didn't say that," Jesse laughed, shaking his head.

"I didn't wet the bed; it was sweat," he defended himself.

"Either way, I still love you," Zoe replied, kissing his cheek. "Bed wetter or not," she teased.

"I will get you both back for this," he warned.

"No you won't," Zoe remarked with a smile, biting her lip. He sighed knowing she was right. He may not get her back right away but there would be a time later down the road he would, as for Jesse it would sooner rather than later.

Family night was always a hit, wearing their daughter out so much she fell asleep on the walk home.

"I have a feeling this one is going to be a girl too," he stated, readjusting his daughter in his arms.

"What makes you say that?" She questioned, rubbing circles on her still flat stomach.

"Just a feeling," he shrugged.

"Really? The first time around you were adamant that our little girl was going to be a boy," she commented.

"I know," he sighed. "I would love to have a boy, but I wouldn't mind having another little girl. I would rather have another little girl than a boy." It really didn't mind which one he got, healthy was what mattered, even then he would still love his little baby, because it was part him and part Zoe.

"Same here," she smiled. Feeling very much like her husband did.

Getting home they got their little girl in bed, going to watch a movie in their room. It was Zoe that fell asleep halfway through it. So color her shocked when she woke up hours later to find the bed empty. Frowning she went in search of her husband.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a smile seeing him in the spare bedroom.

"Couldn't sleep," he shrugged, getting up from the floor where he was packing things into a box. "We have months to prepare for this little one and with Chloe, we were barely done with the nursery when she was born, I don't want the same thing to happen to this one," he responded, laying his hands on her stomach.

"I love that you are jumping into this so soon, but maybe it can wait until we are out of the danger zone. Just in case," she said, placing her hands on his shoulder.

"Okay," he promised, sharing a kiss with her.

It turned out that was a promise he couldn't keep. He wanted a room for his kid when he or she was born, and they could bring the baby home. He of course kept it from Zoe. He was waiting on finding out if the baby was a girl or boy as he had a theme for both planned out in his head.

Finding out that, in fact, they were having another baby girl, he got straight to work planning the perfect princess nursery complete with castle and unicorn.

"It's beautifully magical," Zoe said, getting teary eyed. "You've been doing this the whole time, for the past how many months?" She asked, running a hand along the dark cherry wood belonging to the crib.

"Since I promised not too, I couldn't help it," he shrugged, looking adorable.

"This might be my favorite part," she commented, seeing the princess bear he made for her, sitting on top of the matching dresser.

"It does tie the room together," he smiled, walking up behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her, his hands resting on her stomach, feeling their little girl start to kick. "You're not mad are?"

"How can I be?" She asked, leaning into him. "Look at it," she gestured around the room. "She is going to love it."

"I can't wait until she is here," he said, kissing his wife's neck.

"That makes three of us," she smiled, hiding a yawn.

"Let's get you two to bed for an afternoon nap," he said, leading her from the room, checking on their daughter who was passed out on the living room floor. "I will be there in a second; I am going to get her into bed," he told his wife, picking his sleeping daughter up.

In the passing months, they finished getting things ready for the newest addition to their family.

It was in the early hours of Christmas morning that Zoe went into labor, Earl coming over to stay with a still sleeping Chloe.

Hours later as dusk settled over them, they welcomed Faye Amelia Kinsella into the world at 18 inches and weighing in at 7.06 pounds. She was the best Christmas present they could ever ask for.


End file.
